Crackdown on Illegal Mining Activities in Odisha

Odisha's Jajpur district faced extensive raids on mines and black stone quarries, prompted by newly elected MLA Himanshu Sekhar Sahoo's allegations of widespread irregularities under the previous BJD government. The raids led to the seizure of illegal equipment and sealing of a stone crusher. Investigations will continue to uncover further breaches.

Extensive raids were carried out on mines and black stone quarries in Odisha's Jajpur district on Thursday, following allegations of widespread irregularities by newly elected MLA Himanshu Sekhar Sahoo. These actions were reportedly prevalent during the previous BJD government.

A team led by Nirmalendu Narayan Singhdeo, joint director of mines, executed the operation, which included local MLA Sahoo, deputy director of mines TB Munda from Jajpur Road, mining officer Jay Prakash Nayak, and local police forces.

The raids covered areas like Lunibar, Chadheidhara, and Dankari, leading to the confiscation of an illegal poclain excavator and the sealing of a stone crusher.

MLA Sahoo had earlier petitioned various authorities, alleging rampant illegal mining activities in Dharmasala and demanding stringent action. He pointed out that quarry operators had significantly exceeded permitted extraction limits for profit.

Singhdeo stated, ''We are here to investigate based on the MLA's complaint. The directorate of minor minerals has formed a team to conduct a preliminary inquiry. Further investigations will determine if excessive mining occurred and whether regulations were breached. Surveys and additional measures will follow.''

(With inputs from agencies.)