Odisha Governor Calls For Probe Into Illegal Mining In Dankari Hill Forest

Bhubaneswar/Jajpur: Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal, has directed the state government to probe into the illegal extraction of minor minerals at the Dankari hill forest area under Dharmasala block in Jajpur district.

The Governor’s directive has come in response to the allegation by Sarbeswar Behura, a social activist of Jajpur.

“I had met the Governor on September 7 and apprised him of the matter. I also submitted all the relevant documents relating to the illegal extraction of minor minerals in the Dankari hill forest area and their transportation. After going through the documents, the Governor directed the additional chief secretary, Forest and Environment, to probe into the matter and take necessary action, Behura said.

He also said that he had moved the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to direct the state government to stop illegal mining in the area with immediate effect.

Acting on the petition, the NGT had directed the state government to form a special committee for an inquiry into the matter.

“We have not received any letter from the NGT till date. But we have come to know that the Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry has planned to set up a strategic phase to the petroleum reserve project in the Dankari hill forest area for which the state government has asked us to cancel the all mining lease of the Dankari hill. But there is no written order to this effect as of now,” Dharmasala tehsildar Sheetal Agrawal told mediapersons here.

The Union Joint Secretary of Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry, Sunjay Sudhir had a meeting with the chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi in Bhubaneswar on September 4 to discuss the initiation of the underground oil reservoir project. Briefing mediapersons after the meeting, he said that the state government has assured to resolve issues that have been stalling the project. “We hope that that the matter will be sorted out at the earliest,” he added.

Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on April 12, 2014, had announced the setting up of the project. However, there has been an inordinate delay as the state government has failed to acquire 400-acre land for the project.