By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: The former Odisha Steel and Mines Secretary RK Sharma came under scanner after Leader of Oppositions in State Assembly; Pradipta Naik demanded that a criminal case be initiated against Sharma for failure to check illegal mining. RK Sharma had shifted from Steel and Mines and posted as APC.
Raising issue during Zero Hour, Leader of Opposition Naik (BJP alleged that mining mafia and bureaucrats have siphoned off about Rs 1 Lakh crore due to illegal mining. Naik alleged that State suffered losses due to wrong decisions of former Steel and Mines Secretary Sharma.
He wanted to know how mining companies, which are facing Vigilance cases, got their mines renewed. Naik said that though he had written 10 letters to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the mining irregularities, he was not given acknowledgement of any of his communications.Naik alleged that a few bureaucrats have looted around Rs 1,00,000 crore from the mining lease and demanded action against the erring officers.
“The Government has lost revenue worth Rs 3,600 crore from nine mines in last three years. It amounts to a whooping Rs 1,200 crore loss per year,” Congress Legislature Party Leader Narasingha Mishra said.
Ruling BJD member Pratap Deb defended the state administration saying that auction of coal blocks is held as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court, the Centre and the state government and asked opposition leaders to submit strong evidence in support of their allegation of irregularities.Deb said that Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal and Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had earlier stated that Odisha would receive lakhs of rupees from mining revenue.
