Will the mining probe be transparent?

BHUBANESWAR: How transparent is the on-going probe into the alleged nexus between mining lease-holders and third party contractors raising minerals when two prominent members of the fact-finding team are facing serious charges of corruption? A six-member committee headed by Deputy Director of Mines Purna Chandra Patra is currently probing alleged violation of Section 37 of the Mineral Concession Rules, 1960, in Koida mining areas of Sundargarh district. Patra and five others, including former director of mines Sasadhar Sahu, deputy directors of mines Manas Ranjan Mohanty and Madan Mohan Biswal, and former divisional forest officer, Keonjhar, Bikram Singh are facing a Vigilance case for illegally granting mining lease to Nandalal Rungta and partners of Mangilal Rungta in violation of the Forest Act and Mining and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957. The Bhubaneswar Vigilance cell registered a case against Patra and the five others in Balasore Vigilance police station on November 18, 2009 for illegal grant of iron ore mining lease by manipulating and fabricating documents and allowing the lessee to carry on mining activities in forest areas against the rules. Ironically, Rungta Mines is one of the 57 lessees identified by the Government for violating Section-37 of MC Rules. The Steel and Mines Department set up the committee in July following written complaint by several law makers of the ruling BJD and Opposition Congress. The Government asked the committee to examine the audited balance sheets, profit and loss accounts, tax audit report, ledger account of the contractors in the book of the lessee, bank accounts and books of accounts of the lessees and contractors and other relevant documents related to mines. Meanwhile, the committee has submitted reports relating to eight cases and on the basis of the reports the Government issued show-cause notices to three lessees - Indrani Patnaik, KJS Ahluwalia and TP Sao - operating in Keonjhar district. Deputy Director of Mines (DDM), Joda, UC Jena is the other member of the committee. The Steel and Mines Department is in search of a competent officer to probe his alleged corrupt practices. After receiving a petition against Jena from SK Behera of Joda on September 29, the Chief Minister’s office referred the matter to the Steel and Mines Department. The Department asked the Director of Mines to submit a report on Jena immediately. Explaining that the directorate has no senior officer to conduct an inquiry against Jena, the Director has requested the Government that a senior officer of the Steel and Mines Department be entrusted with the job.