Bhubaneswar: The Odisha chief secretary, AP Padhi, Saturday said that the Rs 8,290 crore collected from defaulting mining leaseholder following the supreme court order would be utilized in development works through the Odisha Mineral Bearing Area Development Corporation(OMBADC). Of the total target of Rs 17,576 crore, the state government could collect only Rs 8,290 crore from mine owners who were found indulging in illegal mining activities from 2000-2001 to 2010-2011.
The chief secretay, who presided over the meeting of the OMBADC, directed different departments to prepare action plan for development of mining-affected areas in eight districts. The OMBADC is a special purpose vehicle constituted by the state government to usher in development in the affected areas.
Padhi said, the amount will be utilised for construction of roads, strengthening of drinking water supply system, providing electricity connection and construction of houses for people in mining affected districts.
The state government has identified 691 villages under 30 blocks of eight districts where money would be spent through the corporation. The districts were: Angul, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Koraput, Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh.
Padhi said the state government would file a status report in the Supreme Court on the amount collected from mine owners and the state’s plan to spend the amount for the development of the areas hit by illegal mining. The apex court would take up the matter on January 17, 2018.
