New Delhi, December 11: A special bench of the Orissa High Court will hear the status quo imposed on the certificate cases relating to illegal mining and recovering equitable fines from the unscrupulous miners.

Observing inordinate delay in recovering the fine amounting to at least Rs 2700 crore, from the illegal miners due to the status quo maintained in the cases, the Apex Court has ruled to resolve the cases by 3rd March 2026.

The direction came after hearing of a Miscellaneous petition concerning non-recovery of dues from mining leaseholders, who had allegedly procured more minerals than the approved capacity even acquiring extended land.

Hearing the miscellaneous petition on Thursday, the Supreme Court Bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice AG Masih directed the Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court to constitute a dedicated bench to hear the illegal mining matters. The HC bench will expedite the recovery proceedings linked to illegal mining that are lingered for interim orders i.e status quo.

The SC bench has directed the Orissa HC to vacate the status quo of the cases at the earliest so that the recovery process of gross 17,500 crore fine will begin.

Worth mentioning, in January 2025 the Odisha government had informed the SC that Rs 2,721.65 crore fine was pending with the illegal miners. Now the fine amount with interest, has reached at over 17,500 crore which are due on 102 miners. On the other hand, the mines leaseholders are tactfully deferring the cases with status quo.