Odisha To Intensify Drive Against Illegal Extraction Of Minor Minerals

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Thursday directed the district functionaries to launch a strict enforcement drive to check illegal mining of minor minerals in the state.

As per official sources, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja asked the district Collectors and Superintendents of Police (SPs) to launch the enforcement drive to curb illegal mining and transportation of minor minerals including sand and stone.

The officials in the districts have been asked to conduct raids at sand and stone quarries and check illegal mining.

The Chief Secretary has directed the district officials to file cases against the people involved in illegal mining of minor minerals. They have been asked to take stern action against illegal transportation of minerals and seize the vehicles.

The district Collectors, SPs, sub-divisional level teams and Tahsil officials have been asked to jointly devise a strategy for the enforcement drive. The police as well as officials of Revenue and Mining Departments will be included in the enforcement teams.

The Chief Secretary, who held a video conference with district officials, directed the district Collectors to conduct fresh survey and identify new sources of sand, black-stone and other minor minerals under their respective jurisdictions.

The district Collectors have been asked to complete the survey and identify the new sources of minor minerals by August and take steps to auction those by October this year, said an official statement.