The Orissa government on Thursday decided to put in place an interim mechanism to check transportation and export of minerals illegally removed from mines by railways and port. The Thursday decision is expected to normalise the minerals transportation and exports from the state which has been affected since January 4, due to stern measures by the state government.
At a high-level meeting chaired by chief secretary, TK Mishra, which was attended by officials of East Coast Railways and Paradip Port besides the state steel & mines principal secretary, Ashok Dalwai, home principal secretary, Aditya Padhi, director general of police, Manmohan Praharaj, it was decided that the railway rakes and the ships would be allotted on the recommendation of the state government. The minerals would be received at the railway sidings and port yards only after verification of the transit permit (TP) issued by the state government.
The steel & mines principal secretary, Ashok Dalwai, said that the consignee would now have to requisition for rakes and ships with the signature of a senior official of the state mines department. Moreover, the minerals would be allowed to be unloaded in the railway sidings and also at the port yards only after verification of the TP. The railway officials in charge of the siding and port officials in charge of the yards would have to keep a photo copy of the TP.
Dalwai said the fool-proof arrangements to check the transportation and export of minerals illegally raised from mines would be introduced after the Guru Ray committee tabled its recommendations. The Guru Ray Committee report is expected by April 30, 2010, he added.