MINING AND INDUSTRIALISATION UPDATE, ORISSA - Vasundhara

environmental protection. Tata Steel is yetto make a major breakthrough for its sixmillion-tonneproject at Kalinga Nagar, withthe law and order problem still turning out tobe a major issue.Similarly, Tata's proposedthermal power project with an investment ofRs 6,000 crore at Naraj is also facing thetrouble because of the law and orderproblem.Illegal mining: State losingRs 5,000 cr per yearPNS, 18 August, 2008There is a revenue loss of around Rs 5,000crore of the Government due to illegalmining and transportation of coal, iron- oreand manganese in Angul, Jharsuguda, Jodaand Koida of the State with the directconnivance of the top officials of MiningDirectorate. After illegal mining, hundredsof truckloads of iron ore are supplied tomany sponge iron plants at Jharsuguda andKeonjhar. The Keonjhar-Pallahara-Angulroute has became the safest for illegaltransportation of iron ore and coal. TheGovernment is losing crores of rupees due toillegal mining and transportation ofmanganese by a powerful racket, close totop mining officials. A coal washery atTalcher is purchasing coal of hundred ofcrores of rupees every year with the directsupport of the mining officials. Particularlyin the period of a deputy director of mines atTalcher, illegal mining and transportation ofcoal was rampant in the whole area. Aftergetting serious complaints, the Governmenttransferred him from Talcher toBhubaneswar office. However, only afterfew months due to the grace of the director,he got another important posting at Koida,where iron ore blackmarketeers, illegalminers and transporters are very muchactive. Officials facing serious corruptioncharges are being posted to importantmining places of the State. As the coal, ironore and manganese mafia is very muchactive in the State, the Director, Mines hasbecame a mute spectator and many taintedofficials are posted in important places. RNSahu is practically working as director incharge of Mines in absence of a full fledgeddirector. The State Association of MinesAffected People in a petition to DG,Vigilance Anup Kumar Pattnaik, whilealleged revenue loss of Rs 5,000 crore dueto blackmarketing of coal, iron ore andmanganese has demanded a Vigilanceenquiry against the Director, Mines. Generalsecretary of the association SK Tripathy alsourged for appointing a special task force tocheck illegal mining activities.Balasore Alloys helps familyattain financial independencePNS, 19 August, 2008In a noble gesture, Balasore Alloys donateddry rations and cash to a family living inabject poverty. After learning the ordeals ofthe family through media sources, joint MDof the company Rabindra Jena donatedfunds to Ratikanta Behera and his family ofDharaganj (Tikirapal) Remuna village. Jenasaid one can help a little and extend handbut alleviate the miseries altogether. Besidesannouncing that each month the companywould give Rs 500 to all family members, itwould also bear educational expenses ofchildren for next 10 years. Behera (45), avisually challenged since birth, has to beareducational expenses of his three children -two daughters Damayanti (14), Basumati(12) and a son Manoj(8) along with an ailingwife. He used to beg with his youngestdaughter during weekends, holidays andvacations. Begging two days a week noteven generates Rs 600 to Rs 800 per monthalthough he also receives the disabilityallowance from the Government. When Jenavisited the village the locals apprised him ofdifficulties Behera faced. SK Giri andSanjay Acharya along with other seniormanagers of the company were presentduring the visit.31