Bhubaneswar: Odisha Government on Tuesday decided to collect a fine of around Rs 20,000 crores from the companies engaged in the illegal mining as per the Supreme Court’s order.
While the government is targeting Rs 17,575 crore as penalty for violation of environmental norms, it is expecting an additional Rs 2,000 crore from violation of forest clearance, mining plan and operate to consent norms, said Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi here today.
“The assessment of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) will be followed and notices will be served to the violators and asked to deposit the amount by December 31,” said Padhi.
Padhi further informed that SC in its order under para 156 had categorically said that the recommendations made by CEC is not totally unreasonable and we accept the compensation should be payable from 2000-2001 onwards at 100 percent of the price of the minerals as rationalised by CEC.
Taking into account the final report of CEC in 2014, the SC in an order on August 2 had stated that several mining companies operated without necessary environmental clearances and they are bound to pay a 100 percent penalty to the state.
CEC had observed that out of the total 187 lease holders for extracting iron and Manganese ore, 102 lease holders did not had requisite environment clearance under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 or approval under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
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