Bhubaneswar: A three-member team of the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) on Wednesday visited the site of Thakurani mines area at Barbil of Keonjhar district as part of its probe into the nexus between Sarada mines and Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL).
Sarda Mines Ltd, the lease holder of the Thakurani mines is under the scanner of the Apex court for glaring violation of Rule-37 of Mineral Concession Rules-1960. The mines owner was selling its entire run of mine (ROM) produce to Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL) without any written agreement at prices far below the market rate.
In its order dated September 16, 2013, the apex court referred the case to the CEC while hearing a petition filed by senior journalist Rabi Das.
During its visit to the state, the Justice M B Shah Commission of Inquiry had also found many irregularities in the operations of Thakurani mines spread over 947 hectares of the Thakurani reserved forest.