Show cause notice to 57 mines

The Joda mining circle, un­der the Orissa state steel and mines department, has sent show cause notices to 57 mines for the irregularities and min­ing rule violations caused by them between 2001 and 2010. Even mines controlled by government owned companies are also in the list. Most of the above min­ers have more than one mine in the list of offenders.  However, none of these mi­nes are operational currently. Joda circle had a total of 96 mines.

Though the state gover­nment suspended as many as over 300 mines dur­ing 2009-10 after allegations of rampant ille­gal mining, transp­ortation and exports, the proce­edings against these mining rule offenders have begun only recently.

The government is conside­ring a proposal to restrict or co­m­p­letely ban iron ore tran­sport by road for exports citing de­teri­orating road conditions and to support rail transport.