Aparajita exposes undervaluation of high-grade iron ore causing revenue losses to Odisha
By Sukanta Mohanty
Bhubaneswar, Jan. 24: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday said that its earlier allegation of large-scale irregularities in auction of iron ore mines in Odisha now stood vindicated as the state government in a recent correspondence with the Centre has acknowledged this gaffe.
Speaking to media persons here, senior BJP leader and Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha member Aparajita Sarangi said that the state government in a letter to the Union ministry of coal and mines has admitted that leaseholders reported high-grade iron ore as low-grade after extraction.
To drive her point home, the lawmaker cited a letter she received from Union coal and mines minister Pralhad Joshi which mentioned about the .
“It its letter to the Union coal and mines minister, the Odisha government has admitted that high-grade iron ore has been represented as low-grade. It resulted in a loss to the tune of thousands of crores rupees to the state exchequer. As a result of the irregularities, an adequate amount of funds could not be transferred to the district mineral funds,” alleged Ms Sarangi.
She added that the irregularities also led to a reduction in funds sent to the National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET).
“The Odisha government has informed the Centre that it has formed a committee under the chairmanship of the director of mines which is looking into it. However, the state government has not mentioned what kind of preventive measures have been taken to improve the situation and what recommendations have been made by the committee.”
Demanding that these measures and recommendations should be brought to the public domain, the IAS-turned-politician said, “The 4.5 crore people of Odisha want to know what action the state government is going to take against such blatant acts that have led to serious financial losses.”
The lawmaker dared the state government to reveal the names of the beneficiaries who made money out of these mining irregularities.
She asked in whose pockets the proceeds of the corruption are going and will the State government guarantee that such corruption will not happen in the future.
She also asked whether the state government will be responsible if the irregularities lead to public protest.
“The state government must also come forward to tell the people the amount of revenue losses suffered due to reporting of high-grade iron ore as low-grade by the leaseholders. The state government has constituted a committee under the chairmanship of the director of mines to investigate the irregularities. We hope the committee will come out with the truth,” said Ms Sarangi.
