Not violated mining norms: JSPL on Shah Commission report

New Delhi: Naveen Jindal-led JSPL has said it has not violated mining norms in Odisha and will reply to the show cause notice issued by the Environment Ministry, based on the report of Justice MB Shah Commission of Inquiry on illegal mining.

The Shah Commission report tabled in Parliament yesterday said that steel and mining giants like Tata Steel, SAIL, JSPL and Aditya Birla Group were found to have unlawfully mined minerals worth Rs 60,000 crore from 2008-11.

The company has submitted all the information desired by the Shah Commission but the "Commission never issued any notice u/s 8 (b) of The Commissions of Enquiry Act so that we could have known as to what is the alleged violation on our part; and could have appropriately replied to the same," a spokesperson for the company told PTI.

"However, based on Justice Shah Commission report we have received a show cause notice from MOEF (Ministry of Environment and Forests), GOI on 23.1.2014 and we are replying to the same and according to us there is no violation whatsoever on the part of our Company," the spokesperson said.

JSPL's Jindal Strips has been named in the list of companies alongwith Tata Steel, SAIL, Aditya Birla Group among others in the report showing year-wise iron and manganese ore produced illegally or without lawful authority and without having environment clearance (EC). This includes production beyond the cap fixed in the EC.

The indicted companies have said that they were yet to get access to the Commission's report.

A Tata Steel spokesperson has said: "We are still to go through the report."

An Aditya Birla Group's spokesperson also said: "We have had no access to Shah Commission report and so, as of now, we have no comments to offer." Essel Mining of Aditya Birla Group was named in the report.

State-run SAIL, on the other hand, said it would offer comments after going through the report, but asserted that it had followed all necessary norms and guidelines.

The Centre-appointed Commission's report has said most of the mining activity in the state between 2008-2011 was carried out with political patronage defying laid-down rules and suggested Odisha to recover the amount which could be used for developing the affected Keonjhar and Sundargar districts and helping tribals who were impacted by mining.

"Value of the unlawful extraction of iron and manganese ore comes to Rs 59,200 crore.... Let the state government recover the said amount, by finalising the proceedings on the basis of the notices as early as possible," the report has said.