Supreme Court Facilitates Swift Recovery of Dues in Odisha Mining Case

The Supreme Court has permitted the Odisha government to request the Orissa High Court to assign cases related to mining lessee dues to a dedicated bench. This move aims to expedite final disposals, ensuring substantial public revenue is recovered. A progress report is expected by April 2026.

In a significant move, the Supreme Court has allowed the Odisha government to approach the Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court, seeking the assignment of cases concerning overdue payments by defaulting mining lessees to a dedicated bench. This decision, announced on Wednesday, is geared towards hastening the resolution of these cases in light of considerable public revenue stakes.

A two-judge bench, comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih, highlighted the numerous petitions challenging recovery proceedings and noted multiple stays granted by the high court. The Supreme Court emphasized the importance of resolving these disputes swiftly and instructed the state to file a status report by April 2026. The court's deadline allows room for either an early disposal of the main matters or alterations of interim orders.

The ongoing proceedings stem from a 2017 Supreme Court judgement that called for compensation recovery from lessees who engaged in unauthorized mining activities. As per the Odisha government's report, substantial sums have already been collected, with the state making concerted efforts to continue this progress. The hope is that a dedicated bench will streamline the case backlog, securing the recovery of substantial dues.

(With inputs from agencies.)