Bhubaneswar: The statewide crackdown on illegal extraction and transportation of minor minerals has seen over 211 arrests and seizure of 253 vehicles over the past two days.
While 88 people were arrested on Monday, the number rose to 123 on Sunday. Additionally, 117 vehicles were seized on Saturday and 123 on Sunday for illegally transporting minerals such as sand and black stone.
On Sunday, police seized 10 vehicles, arrested 10 individuals and registered 7 cases in Balasore. Similarly, five individuals were arrested, nine vehicles seized and 9 cases were registered in Mayurbhanj, and 16 people were arrested, 17 vehicles seized and three cases were registered in Bhadrak.
The directive
The crackdown against illegal mining of minor minerals followed a directive issued by Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja on March 6 during a video conference with district collectors and SPs. They were asked to intensify enforcement drives and conduct raids in the sand and stone quarries to curb illegal mining and transportation of minerals.
Collectors were also instructed to undertake surveys of new sources of sand and black stone, equalling to 150% of their current sources and prepare reports by August for auction of the newly-identified sites by October this year. Besides checking illegal mining, the government hopes to increase the number of such sources, which will not ensure a steady supply of raw materials for construction projects, but also make the prices reasonable, official sources said.
Auction of 636 new minor mineral sources soon
Meanwhile, the Odisha government is preparing to auction 636 newly-identified minor mineral sites located in 17 districts, including Angul, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, and Ganjam.
Steps have also been initiated to operationalise the non-functional sources.
The auction process will commence once the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) approves the reports of the surveys conducted by the directorate of minor minerals in coordination with the district administrations. The minor mineral resources consist of sand, stone, laterite, morrum, and other essential minerals needed for construction and infrastructure projects, the TNIE reported, quoting sources.
This follows the announcement for e-auction of eight major mineral blocks in Sundargarh and Keonjhar districts, lifting a self-imposed embargo of around 2 years.
Also Read: Odisha Govt Invites Bids For Eight Mineral Blocks; Check Details
