Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government “lost revenue of Rs 864.45 crore” from minor mineral sources during 2015-22.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), in its latest report, said that minor minerals with a royalty value of Rs 4,624.58 crore were extracted unlawfully and used in public projects during this period. The authorities in charge of public projects in 14 districts had realised only Rs 21.25 crore against Rs 399.91 crore towards the District Mineral Fund (DMF) and Environment from the bills of contractors without valid transit passes. In the remaining 16 districts, there was no collection at all against the due of Rs 485.79 crore.
The CAG, quoting records of tehsils, said that Rs 107.64 crore was collected towards royalty from authorised leaseholders, while the authorities in charge of public projects deducted Rs 588.35 crore from the bills of contractors due to non-production of transit passes during 2015-22. .
The CAG also pulled up tehsildars for the loss of revenue. They had neither obtained information on the quantities of different category-wise minor minerals supplied by contractors and used in public projects without valid transit passes, nor had they raised the demand for payment of additional charges (DMF and EMF) on royalty deducted from their bills along with the cost of minerals used, the report said.
The report also highlighted irregularities in bidding, excessive mining in several districts, mining without lease holding and negligence of the government officials.
