The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has found that at least 36 miners violations of forest and environment laws and recommended non-renewal two leases, Kasia and Jilling Langalota held by Aditya Birla Group-owned Essel Mining and Industries Limited (EMIL).
In its report submitted to the apex court on Friday, the panel; has made observations about 51 mines, including 15 that were not found to be involved in undertaking mining operations in violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. "The mining operations in 20 mining leases were carried out in the forest land at different times from 2000-01 onwards without prior approval under the Forest (Conservation) Act. Two of these leases are those of Kasia Iron Ore Mine and Jilling Langalota Mine, both of EMIL," the report said.
"Sixteen mining leases have been found to be involved at some point or the other, during the period between October 25, 1980, and 1999-2000, in undertaking mining operations in violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act," it added.
While it spared the other violators, the committee has favoured that the two mines held by EMIL should not be renewed. "In view of the massive illegal mining and other serious illegality/ irregularity found in respect of both the leases, the SC may consider directing the state government not to consider grant of approval under Section 8 (3) of the MMDR (Mines & Minerals - Development & Regulation) Act, 1957, for the second renewal of the mining leases," it said. "Instead, both the leases may be directed to be assigned through transparent competitive bidding process and 40% of the amount so received may be directed to be transferred to the SPV (special purpose vehicle). The balance 60 per cent may, as revenue of the state government, be deposited in the Consolidated Fund," it added.
Regarding Jilling Langalota iron ore and manganese mine, the report said ENMIL extracted 28.63 MT of iron ore valued at Rs 13,898.20 crore from forest land without approvals under the Forest (Conservation) Act. Out of this, 6.77 million tonne of ore was stated to be illegally excavated during 1985-98, 5.43 million tonne from November 2002 to February 2005 and 1.64 million tonne from August 2005 to August 2009.
In case of Kasia iron ore and dolomite mine, it said EMIL continued mining operations between 2005 and 2008, from June 2009 to September 2009 and also from December 2009 to November 2010 in violation of Forest (Conservation) Act. The state forest department has assessed the value of the iron ore illegally mined at Rs 3101.04 crore. The department had filed offence report dated December 5, 2013 under the Odisha Forest Act, 1972 against the company for this illegality in a court in Barbil.
Source:The Times of India
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