By Our Correspondent
BARBIL/BHUBANESWAR: Odisha has lost revenue worth around Rs 300 Crore due to local unrest stalling mining operations at Jindal Steel and Power Limited owned Kasia Iron Ore Block under Joda-Barbil circles of State’s Keonjhar district. The State is losing Rs 10 Crore to Rs 15 Crore revenue on daily basis due to local unrest at mines site since past more than 1 month.
Kasia Iron ore & Dolomite was not in operation from 2012 to 2019. It resumed operation for about six months that is from October 2019 to March 2020, on which the mining lease expired.
The mine was allotted to JSPL in the recent auction which was a new hope for the locals to revive their livelihoods with normal mining. However, the continuing protest has shattered their hopes. Especially, the State Exchequer is incurring tremendous loss of revenue, around to the tune of Rs 300 Crore during the halt in mining operation.
Even though, the State Special Relief Commissioner, PK Jena revised COVID-19 guidelines and imposes restriction on mass gathering, vested interests are inciting people to block entry to the Kasia Mines, alleged sources. Incited by a few local leaders, a group of people is sitting in front of the gate of the mine, flouting Covid-19 norms and night curfew, imposed by the Government.
People are not wearing any masks and social distancing is also not maintained. It is to be noted that 8 Omicron cases, including 6 in Barbil, have been reported from Keonjhar district so far. Sources said, agitating people do not own any heavy vehicles used for the transport of minerals and are no way concerned with transportation but they are opposing the start of Kasia Mines operations.
Sources said, the Kasia mine was allotted to JSPL on November last year after complying with all government criterion. However, the Iron & Dolomite repository is yet to start production as a handful locals have staged long-run road blockades.
As a result, metal productions from the mine has not begun so far despite the effort of the JSPL authorities. Non-cooperation of the locals for ease mining is causing a huge revenue loss to the State Government. At the same time, cease of mining works has badly hampered the livelihood to thousands of wagers.
JSPL had bagged Kasia iron ore block at a premium of 118.10 per cent with 278 million tonne (MT) reserves and strategically located about 17 kilometers from company’s pellet plant in Barbil in the State. At present, the Kasia mine has an environmental clearance (EC) for mining 7.5 MT mineral per annum.
