BHUBANESWAR | Aug 08, 2017: The State Government is likely to take a decision on Tuesday on the quantum of penalty to be imposed on mining lease holders for excess mining of minerals, including iron ore and manganese. The Supreme Court order on illegal mining in Odisha from 2000 to 2010 and notices issued by the State Government to 146 erring lessees for recovery of cost of the mineral extracted in excess of the mining plan in violation of forest and environmental clearances will be discussed at a high-level meeting to be chaired by Chief Secretary AP Padhi.
The notices were issued to 146 mining lease holders under Sub-Section (5) of Section 21 of Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 for recovery of about `59,000 crore, the worth of minerals raised without lawful authority.While the State Government has been maintaining that it will take a decision on the issue after taking the opinion of legal experts, representatives of the mining companies claimed that the amount derived by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) is to be recovered from the lessees.According to CEC, the total notional value of minerals produced without an environmental clearance or in excess of the environmental clearance, at the weighted average price of minerals as proposed by the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) comes to about `17,091.24 crore for iron ore and about `484.92 crore for manganese ore taking the total to `17,576.16 crore.
It is not yet clear whether the State Government will stick to its demand notices issued to lessees in 2012 or revisit the issue in the light of the apex court order.Minister of State for Steel and Mines Prafulla Mallick said, he will be in a position to give a definite answer after the Tuesday meeting which will be attended by senior officers of Steel and Mines, Forest and Environment, Law and Indian Bureau of Mines.
“We have to take an early decision as the apex court has ordered that collection from the lessees towards excess mining should be completed by December 2017,” the Minister said.
(Source: http://www.newindianexpress.com/)