The Odisha treasury could have benefited to the tune of Rs 4 lakh crore in the form of non-tax receipts since 2003-04 had the state government cancelled the leases of mines running on deemed extension basis and handed those properties to Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), said Union minister for statistics and programme implementation and chemicals and fertilisers, Srikant Kumar Jena, here on Tuesday.

“The leases of many mines are not being renewed for various irregularities and allowed to run on deemed extension basis. The state government has the right to cancel the leases of these mines under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act,” he claimed.