Odisha: Mines dept seeks ATR on forest rule violation

Seeks report from Forest and Environment department by July 18

The state Steel and Mines Department has sought a detail report from the state Forest and Environment department on the action taken against miners violating forest and environment rules.

After the action report (ATR) is prepared, it will be forwarded to the Supreme Court appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which is currently probing illegal mining activities in the state.

In a coordination meeting conducted between these two government departments today, the Forest and Environment department has been asked to furnish the ATR by July 18.

“We have asked the Forest department to submit a report on violation of environment and forest laws by leaseholders and action taken thereafter by July 18. After we get the report, we will prepare a detailed document on mining activities to be submitted to the CEC by July 21,” said Mines director, Deepak Mohanty, after the coordination meeting.

The meeting was convened to discuss and compile information related to illegal mining in Odisha through interaction of officials of Steel and Mines, Forest and Environment departments and Odisha State Pollution Control Board.

The state government has assured the CEC to furnish ATR and other details before July 21 as desired by the apex court appointed panel.

Earlier this week, the CEC team had inspected 11 mines in Joda and Koira mining circles, during which they had found major discrepancies in data showed by mines leaseholders and the state government regarding lease boundary and mineral extraction. Some of the lease holders even claimed ignorance about official proceedings initiated against them for forest and environment rule violations.

To clear the confusion, the CEC members have asked for more data from State Pollution Control Board, Forest department, Vigilance wing and Steel and Mines department before their meeting with accused leaseholders in New Delhi on July 23 and 24.

Ahead of the CEC hearing, the Odisha government would have a meeting with mine owners accused of violating statutory provisions on July 18.

The meeting would work out the joint strategy to be adopted by the state government during the CEC hearing, said a source.

In April this year, the CEC was instructed by the Supreme Court to submit details of the status of illegal mining in Odisha while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL). In its petition, civil society organisation Common Cause had appealed the top court to ban mining in Odisha after leaked reports of Shah Commission of enquiry suggested all modes of illegal mining taking place in the state between 2003 and 2009. The CEC is expected to submit its status report to the Supreme Court by the end of this month to help the court to take a decision on whether to allow mining in Odisha or not.