By Anurjay Dhal
RAJKANIKA/KENDRAPARA (ODISHA): Gone are the days! When mighty B Prabhakaran and Ahluwalia Brothers used to roaming around the power packed Third Floor of the erstwhile State Secretariat, now, the politically busy and active, Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, the State Capital of eastern Indian State Odisha, to donate to Odisha CMRF and pose for Photograph in case of any natural calamities and other humanitarian crisis. But with COVID-19 followed by lockdown putting the Odisha Government in hurry, no sign of B Prabhakaran or Ahluwalia Brothers till yet, sources said on Sunday.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19 and a nationwide lockdown was imposed, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has been emotionally appealing to donate to CMRF for relief and restorations works, to which, so far many corporate houses, individuals, business man, students, and common men have come forward and started donating to CMRF and while several corporate houses have joined hands with Odisha Government in its fight against the outbreak of the dreaded disease but the studied silence made by , Thriveni Earth Movers Pvt and KJS Ahluwalia Group, the most benefited Mines owner and mines contractor , has raised many eyebrows in this mineral beaing State.
Even a College Student in Kendrapara donated his Scholarship money of Rs 5000 to Collector Samartha Verma for Odisha CMRF to fight COVID-19 while many corporate houses working in Odisha have donated crores of rupees and joined hand with several district administration to streamline health services but B Prabhakaran, who runs Thriveni Earth Movers Pvt and Kamaljit Singh Ahluwalia-Prashant Ahluwalia-Pawan Ahluwalia of KJS Ahluwalia Group, seems, till not moved by the appeal of Chief Minister Patnaik.
Both B Prabhakaran and Ahluwalia Brothers largely benefited during the last 20 years of BJD rule under Naveen Patnaik and both played their cards for about 2 decades in State’s mineral being Joda-Koira regions of Keonjhar and Sundargarh till Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought the Mines and Minerals (Explorations) Amendment Act-2015 and later it got passed in both Houses of Parliament as Mines and Minerals (Explorations) Bill-2020, making road for online open auction of expired mines block.
It may be noted here that, Ahluwalia Brothers have lost all most all its existing 4 big size merchant mining blocks including the much talked about Nuagaon and Ganua Iron Ore blocks, now under Sajjan Jindal led JSW Steel’s control and Thakurani block now under Laxmi Mittal led ArcelorMittal India Pvt Ltd’s control after the bidding following expire of lease term on March 31 this year under Koenjhar-Sundargarh belt. Prabhakaran’s Thriveni Earth Movers Pvt Ltd was a raising contractor at all mines earlier held by the KJSA Group.
Prabhakaran used his clout through local leaders like Sanatan Mahakud, Kusa-Naba Apat while Ahluwalia Brothers roped in on Padma Shri Tulsi Munda to fool the tribal population of Keonjhar and Sundargarh, and they both successfully manipulated mining activities and looted crores and now keeping silent when the entire State is under tremendous humanitarian crisis, said a Joda-Barbil , Keonjhar, based activist over phone. B Prabhakaran’s politically backing was earlier helped him to take over sub-lease of at least 12 mines violating Rule 37 of the Mines and Minerals Act.
Besides that, B Prabhakaran is getting regular support from Odisha CMO for his Tamil Nadu origin as 2 most powerful mandarins of Chief Minister Patnaik, are also from the same southern State and playing their cards putting other capable and most efficient IAS and IPS officer are at a tizzy in the State.
