The government of India and the Orissa government have mysteriously closed their eyes to a broad daylight “robbery” of high grade chrome ore from Tailangi mines under Sukinda block in Jajpur district.
The chrome ore mines incidentally come under the constituency of state finance minister and senior Biju Janata Dal leader Prafulla Chandra Ghadei.
Investigation revealed that some contractors under direct patronage of a section of dishonest senior officials of the state-owned Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) have legally lifted nearly 10 lakh tonnes of chrome ore worth over Rs 17,000 crores.
The minerals were raised during the last few years. Before the economic slowdown, the chrome ore price was over Rs 17,000 per tonne.
Tailangi mines happen to be the captive reserves of IDC. The illegally lifted chrome ore were allegedly sold in grey markets.
What is surprising is that the IDC, which is the lease-holder of the mines, has seemingly partnered in the plunder of wealth by sponsoring the raising cost to the contractors.
The IDC and the contractors have completely destroyed the local dense forest and diverted the passage of the perennial Damsola stream for smooth exploitation of the mineral.
The illegal mining has taken place in areas under khata no 5,17,3,35,38,39 and plot no-251,324,110,326,17,109,327,108,330,147,331,104,105,106,147,418,415,413,420,324 and 458.
The land where illegal mining has taken place belonged to forest category and private tenants.