Raising excess ores from Odisha mines : Rs 2,723 crore fine yet pending on 23 miners

Bhubaneswar, Aug 29: At least Rs 2,723 crore fine, imposed against as many as 23 illegal mines operators is yet to be paid after years.

The Odisha government on Thursday informed the Assembly that the 23 mining lease holders who were slapped hefty amounts of fine towards penalty for raising excess iron and manganese ores breaching the lease agreements and approved mining limits, have not carried out the government’s order so far.

The state government had served demand notice to 133 mines owners for payment of compensation amounting to over Rs 18,000 crore towards excess mining, Steel and Mines Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena said in a written answer in the House.

The demand notices were served to the mines owners for payment of the compensation towards excess mining in pursuant to the August 2, 2017 order of the Supreme Court as per the recommendation of Justice M B Shah commission, investigating illegal mining in the state and on the basis of a report of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) appointed by the apex court.

The apex court had directed 133 mining lease holders for payment of penalty of Rs 18,526.47 crore to the state government by December 31, 2017 as compensation towards excess production of minerals in violation of statutory norms.

He said certificate cases were filed against the defaulting mines owners under Odisha Public Demands Recovery Act, 1962. The Steel and Mines department had written to collectors of concerned districts requesting them to take necessary action as per the law to recover the penalty amounts soon.