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Ahmedabad: Justice MB Shah Commission probing into illegal mining in Odisha on Sunday expressed satisfaction over the Rs 100 crore corporate social responsibility (CSR) corpus proposed by lessees for peripheral development of mining areas in mineral rich Sundergarh and Keonjhar districts.
The retired Supreme Court judge after hearing the mining lease holders' draft said if everything goes as per the plan, “something good would be done to the state.”
“It is a very good proposal and it would benefit number of persons not only in education but health also.”
When asked about execution of the blue print, Shah however stated, “Let them do according to their wish...they are businessmen and can manage properly .....there is sufficient fund and no difficulty in implementing the plan.”
According to sources six mining lease holders including KJS Ahluwalia, R P Sao, D R Patnaik, Indrani Patnaik, Sirajuddin & Company and Thriveni Earthmovers have proposed to set up a 100-beded hospital, a medical college and a university in the region under CSR exercise.
"We are going to look at not only primary heath care centres through PPP route but also a special 100-beded hospital and three sets of schools. We are also thinking about a medical college and a university,” counsel of the lessees and SC judge Gopal Subramaniam said.
Besides, several other projects which have also found place in the blue print designed by the lessees include townscaping, landscaping, water purification units, homes for old-aged and orphanages.
Meanwhile the Commission which concluded its hearing in the Gujarat capital on Sunday, again casted doubt on the submission of the final report on illegal mining in the state, contradicting its earlier statement.
Shah said, “We'll take some time to submit the report. I can't give any certain date… if needed we'll go for hearing.”
“According to our requirement we would now hear,” quipped the bespectacled retired SC judge.
On April 12, during third phase of the hearing Shah had said, “Much before July 16, we’ll submit the final report to the Centre.” The Commission's term ends on July 16.
On the other hand, the state government has reportedly agreed to the CSR proposal envisaging the formation of a trust to oversee investment of the fund in various works related to development of communication infrastructure, health and education services and sanitation in the region.
“The state government will go through the proposals which they (lease holders) have placed and we'll give opinion only after studying it,” Chief Secretary BK Patnaik who represented the state govt before the panel said.
