By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/BARBIL/KOIRA/ANGUL: It seems, the Naveen Patnaik led BJD Government in Odisha is showing undue favour to Aditya Birla Group owns Essel Mining & Industries Ltd, which has Jilling Langolata Iron Ore Mines, Kasia Iron&Dolomite Ore Mines under Joda Mining Circle and Koira Iron Ore Mines under Koira Mining circle under State’s mineral rich Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts respectively.
The Essel Mining and Industries Ltd, one of the major player in Odisha Mining scam worth 3 lakh crore , eyeing on the ongoing auction of 20 Mines, which slated for October 4 and 14 this year. The mining lease is expiring by March 31, 2010.
The fate of Aditya Birla Group’s unlisted company has been very controversial since its role surfaced in mining scam that followed by adverse report of Justice MB Shah Commission and recent attack from Supreme Court over the delay in payment of fine amount imposed on it for illegal mining.
The Company looted crores between 2000 to 2011 and caught with several cases pending against it. The Supreme Court had also denied the Aditya Birla Group’s Essel Mining more time to pay the Rs 1,102 crores it has been charged. Similar allegations against Company’s Bhubaneswari Coal Mining Ltd in Angul-Dhenkanal coal belt.
“Due to deforestation in various hills, 80 per cent of streams have gone dry. The water flow in Deogarha’s Padhanpata, Sundargarh’s Khandadhar and Keonjhar’s Sanaghagara and Badaghagara waterfalls has decreased by 50 per cent in last 10 years,” said an activist in Barbil, Keonjhar said.
“The Government had earlier admitted that the water-flow in the Padhanpata waterfall at Deogarh had decreased drastically due to destruction of forests. But on the contrary, it showing favour to Essel Mining and Industries Ltd,” a local activist in Koira , Sundargarh said.
Locals in Joda, Barbil and Koira areas however expressed concerns over the dwindling of the wild animals and the increasing man-animal conflict in human habitations due to water and fodder scarcity in jungles and hills. “The residents of Joda-Barbil and Koira will suffer acute water scarcity in near future due to illegal mining work of Essel Mining and Industries Ltd,”
This apart, company played a key role in Odisha mining scam and violated Mines and Minerals Act, Mines and Minerals Regulation Act of 1957’s section 21. The company involved in illegal mining, theft and transportation. The company has violated pollution control act of 1986, air pollution control act of 1981, water pollution control act of 1974 and forest rights act of 1980.
Companies were supposed to extract mining with clearance of air and water pollution control under various acts like Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and consent to operate under the Water (PCP) Act, 1974 and Air (PCP) Act, 1981.
The firm has been violating forest and wildlife laws .The Company, which is also creating air and water pollution while defying orders of Odisha State Pollution Control Board and Union Forest and Environment Ministry. Action should have taken against the company under Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and Odisha Forest Act-1972 and Mines and Minerals Act. But instead , the company got extension to run its closed mines.
Company which operating without valid consent to operate should have been issued closure directions or will be prosecuted as per the provisions in Water (PCP) Act, 1974 and Air(PCP) Act, 1981.While granting “consent to operate”, it will be ensured that the proponent has obtained all other statutory clearances under Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.The Company has no respect to labour laws, they said.
In an order on August 2, 2017, the SC’s green bench hearing allegations of widespread illegal mining in Odisha had ruled that all violations of environmental and forest laws, and not just the mining law, amounted to illegal mining. That resulted in 131 iron ore and manganese miners, including those being investigated by the Singhvi-Dave committee, having to pay compensation totalling nearly Rs 20,000 crore.
The petitions being heard by the SC had been prompted by the findings of the Justice MB Shah Commission, appointed by the Ministry of Mines to probe illegal mining of iron ore and manganese. The Commission had also concluded that more than half a dozen mines in the state were being operated not by the original leaseholder but someone else, a violation of Rule 37 of the Mineral Concession Rules 1960.
The CEC, in its interim report, had revealed that a large number of mines operated in Odisha after the expiry of mining lease period on the provision of deemed extension of mining lease as no decision was taken on application filed by the lease-holders for renewal of the leases.It found that at least 163 mining leases operated without the requisite approvals under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980; environmental clearances, Air and Water Act or approved mining plans.The CEC also found that out of the 596 mines, as many as 307 mines consisted of either wholly or partly forest areas.
With no political parties raising the issue of corruption and irregularities in Odisha during the campaigning for the last Lok Sabha polls and Assembly, apprehensions are being raised if culprits will ever be brought to book.Probes into Rs 3 lakh crore mining scam have slowed down in the last couple years, raising doubts about a tacit understanding among the leaders.
