Bhubaneswar: A day after Central Empowered Committee (CEC) informed the Supreme Court about illegal production of iron ore and manganese in Odisha, the state government today said it would go by the direction of the Apex Court even as opposition Congress and BJP today reiterated its demand of a CBI probe into mining activities.
"We will abide by the direction of the Supreme Court.
Though the CEC has submitted its support, the Apex Court has not given any direction," Odisha's Steel and Mines minister Prafulla Kumar Mallick told reporters here.
The minister said the state government was ready to take stringent steps against the violators of the law and had initiated action.
Senior Congress leader and ex-OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik said that the CEC report has exposed the illegal mining activities in Odisha. "Since many influentials are involved in the illegal activities, the CBI should probe into the matter," Patnaik said.
Senior BJP leader Pratap Sarangi also demanded CBI probe into the multi-crore mining scam. "After M B Shah Commission, the CEC has also found illegalities in the mining here. Therefore, the matter should be inquired by the CBI," SOdisha to go by Supreme Court order: Odisha minister on CEC
Bhubaneswar, Oct 18 (PTI)A day after Central Empowered Committee (CEC) informed the Supreme Court about illegal production of iron ore and manganese in Odisha, the state government today said it would go by the direction of the Apex Court even as opposition Congress and BJP today reiterated its demand of a CBI probe into mining activities.
"We will abide by the direction of the Supreme Court.
Though the CEC has submitted its support, the Apex Court has not given any direction," Odisha's Steel and Mines minister Prafulla Kumar Mallick told reporters here.
The minister said the state government was ready to take stringent steps against the violators of the law and had initiated action.
Senior Congress leader and ex-OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik said that the CEC report has exposed the illegal mining activities in Odisha. "Since many influentials are involved in the illegal activities, the CBI should probe into the matter," Patnaik said.
Senior BJP leader Pratap Sarangi also demanded CBI probe into the multi-crore mining scam. "After M B Shah Commission, the CEC has also found illegalities in the mining here. Therefore, the matter should be inquired by the CBI," sarangi said.
The CEC in its report to the Supreme Court had yesterday said that around 2131 lakh MT of iron and 24 lakh MT of manganese of notional value of Rs 17576 crore were produced without necessary environmental clearance by mining companies in Odisha during 2000 to 2011.
It said that the mining leases for iron and manganese in Odisha have been undertaken practically by all the lessees without environmental clearance and/or in excess of the environmental clearances.
"Between 2000-01 and 2010-11 a total quantity of 2130.988 lakh MT of iron and 24.129 lakh MT of manganese have been produced without environmental clearance/beyond environmental clearance in the mining leases in the state of Odisha," the report said.