Bhubaneswar: The
Odisha government has sent penalty notice of Rs.67,900 crore to as many as 103
mining lease holders for raising minerals beyond the permitted limit.
According to the
state steel and mines minister Rajnikant Singh, these companies have violated
the mining rules by excavating minerals more than the stipulated limit of
Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM). Earlier the Department of Mines has sent penalty
notice to 61 miners of an aggregate amount of Rs. 47,805 crore. In the Second
phase penalty notice has been sent to another 42 miners with an aggregate
amount of Rs.20, 095 crore.
However the state
government has denied the allegation by the several political parties that it
has prior knowledge on the excess mining by miners. The state director of mines
Mr.Deepak Mohanty stated that the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) has the
responsibility to control excess mining of minerals. “IBM approves mining plans
and stipulates raising limit of minerals and so the state governments cannot be
held responsible†he said.
On the other
hand Tata Steel has denied that it has violated the law by raising minerals
beyond the permitted limit and the company has made it clear that the company
would challenge the penalty notice sent by the Odisha government.
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