Debabrata Mohanty

Probing allegations of a multi-crore mining scandal, the Orissa government has ordered suspension of work at 64 iron ore, manganese ore and limestone mines whose operators have failed to provide proof of legal mining activity.

BHUBANESWAR: Vigilance sleuths on Tuesday raided the mines and offices of Sirajuddin and Co in connection with the multi-crore mining scam and are said to have unearthed illegal extraction and transportation of minerals on a massive scale.The Vigilance pressed into service 16 teams, which raided the offices of the company and its sister concerns in Bhubaneswar and Kolkata.

Bhubaneswar: Exerting pressure on illegal mines owners, the state government has stopped mining activites at 69 iron ore and manganese mines following detection of illegal mining by the task force constituted under the chairmanship of chief secretary, TK Mishra. The mines are located in Joda, Koida, Rourkela and Keonjhar areas of the state.

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has identified 69 illegally operated mines and asked their owners to stop operations forthwith.

Identification of illegally operated mines is done by a task force constituted by the State Government in October.

Guidelines issued to mines operators who had applied for renewal of mining leases

State government seeks the status of all working mines

Handing over of cases to the CBI demanded

BHUBANESWAR: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday said that the ongoing vigilance probe into the multi-crore mining illegal scam was nothing but an eyewash.

The party demanded that the Naveen Patnaik government hand over the cases relating to the mining scam to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a fair probe and action against the guilty.

BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today rejected the demand for Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the multi-crore mining scam. It was made by the BJP national team.

BHUBANESWAR: If there are those who think climate change will affect people who live only along the coast, they are mistaken. Tribal communities, who have been least-contributors to carbon emission, have suffered a lot during past one decade.

BHUBANESWAR: Minister for Steel and Mines Raghunath Mohanty reiterated that ArcelorMittal has assured the State Government that the company will establish the proposed steel plant in Keonjhar district.

Debabrata Mohanty

Yet to figure out the extent of the multi-crore mining scam, Orissa Steel and Mines department has announced a reward for whistleblowers among general public and government officials who provide information on illegal mining.