Orissa detects 2 state PSUs among 13 illegal mines operators

BHBANESWAR: Though it sounds strange, the Orissa government has found two state-run public sector undertakings among 13 mine lessees indulging in illegal mining, official sources said.

The state government is processing a show-cause notice likely to be served against its own PSU Orissa Mining Corporation soon on the charge of violation of mining rules, the sources said.

OMC, considered the highest revenue generating PSU for the state, was found indulging in illegal mining activities. Violation was detected in OMC's two chromite mines and another mine owned by IDCOL, also a state run PSU.

Of the 13 mine lessees found in illegal mining activity during 2009 and 2010, two were state PSUs operating three separate chromite mines, they said.

The others include Essel Mining & Industries Limited, SN Das Mohpatra, Indrani Patnaik, Arjun Lada, MS Deb and Ram Bahadur Thakur (RBT).

OMC, which was allotted 502.457 hectares of chromite mines at South Kaliapani in Jajpur district, was found to have unauthorisedly encroached into another lease hold area.

The state's steel and mines minister, Raghunath Mohanty, said, ''The state government has been processing a show-cause notice aginst OMC on the charge of violation detected.''

Similarly, OMC was also found violating mining rules at its Kaliapani, Ostopal and Gurjang chromite mines in Jajpur district, they said.