Bhubaneswar: Odisha government today issued show cause notices to mining leaseholders for violating production limits set under the mining plan and consent to operate permit on the lines of forest and environmental norms.
Directing the lessees to keep their views within 10 days, the Deputy Director of Mines of Koira Circle in a letter said, “Considering excess production without lawful authority, the mining companies are noticed to show-cause why they should not pay the sum as directed in the earlier demand notice towards compensation under section 21(5) of MMDR Act, 1957 for production in excess of the lower of the approved limits under mining plan and consent to operate, in pursuance to the August 2nd judgement of the Supreme Court.”
As many as 23 mining leaseholders have been served show-cause for violating forest clearances while 151 mining companies have been issued notices for illegally extracting minerals beyond what was authorised by the competent authority.
“The lessees that have violated the forest clearance and those that have exceeded limit of extraction as per the consent to operate given on the lines of forest conservation act along with the mining plan have been notified to show cause,” Deepak Mohanty, Director of Mines said.
It is pertinent to mention here that the state government last month had issued demand notices to as many as 152 mining leaseholders asking them to pay full cost of minerals illegally extracted by them since 2000-01 by the end of the current year.
Meanwhile, the move by the state government has been sharply criticised by the Eastern Odisha Mine Owners Association.
“As per the advice of our legal counsels, state government’s notification to collect fines for violating consent to operate and mining plan are not mentioned in the Supreme Court’s guidelines,”
Prabhod Mohanty, General Secretary of Eastern Odisha Mine Owners Association said adding that the body will raise objections while keeping its views on the issue.
On the other hand, the move is aimed to recover Rs 2,900 crore as compensation towards environmental damage and illegal extraction of minerals which will be spent through a special purpose vehicle. An affidavit in this connection was filed by the state government in the Supreme Court today, sources said.
Earlier the Supreme Court in its August 2 judgement had said that mining companies in Odisha operating without environmental clearance will have to pay a 100 per cent penalty to the state on the price of illegally extracted iron and manganese ores with effect from 2000-01.
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