The Centre-appointed Shah Commission is appeared quite unhappy with the state of affairs in the mineral-rich Keonjhar district.
The eight-member commission, which visited various mines in the district over the last three days, on Sunday said at majority of the places mines owners and operators have polluted the air and water affecting the life and livelihood of the local people. Besides, they also overlooked to their responsibilities towards the local communities and improvement roads and other infrastructure.
Justice M.B. Shah, a former Supreme Court Judge and head of the commission, while speaking at a public hearing programme at Keonjhar, said although the mine owners owe responsibilities to develop road communications and build infrastructure, they had ignored to discharge them. Besides they did not do anything to provide healthcare facilities to rural communities, he added.
“The billionaire mines owners have helicopters. They can fly anywhere for their own requirements. However, a poor person from here has to rush to Bhubaneswar to avail minimum healthcare services and avail other basic needs,” he rued.
Indicating that the commission found massive illegal mining activities in the district, Justice Shah said the state government should put in its website names, emails and postal addresses of all mines owners so that people finding illegalities in their operations can lodge complaints.
Justice Shah, accompanied by other commission members and state government officials, visited four iron ore and manganese mines owned by M/S Indrani Patnaik, Patnaik Mineral Private Limited, S.R. Rungta Private Limited and Mala Ray Company on Saturday. In all the four places, the Commission found apparent illegality, one of the members said.
The commission, while expressing displeasure over mining in excess areas at Uchhabali iron ore mines owned by M/S Indrani Patnaik, said no boundary pillar at Patnaik Mineral Private Limited’s mines, was found during the probe.
Justice Shah asked the district collector of Keonjhar district to immediately issue a notice to S.R. Rungta Private Limited which allegedly undertook excess excavation not in accordance with the mining plan.