Minister accepts illegal mining rampant, to hold DGPS survey across Odisha

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to curb illegal mining and transportation of minor minerals including sand in Odisha, Mines minister Prafulla Mallick today said differential global positioning system (DGPS) survey will be undertaken at all 314 tehsils by March next year and i3MS system will be installed to generate computerised permit.

Talking to mediapersons after holding a discussion with concerned secretaries at the State Secretariat here, Mallick accepted that illegal mining of minor minerals is currently rampant in the State. The Minister said, “Though the DGPS survey has been done in two tehsils so far, rest of the tehsils will be asked to complete the survey by March. Once quantity of the resources is identified, auction process will begin.”

Besides, collectors have been asked to form squads at the sub-division level to stop illegal mining, he stated.

The i3MS system will help to generate computer generated permit and regularise the mining process of minor minerals which is otherwise in disarray at present.