By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, April 7, 2015

Odisha government on Tuesday decided to form a technical sub-committee to quantify the minerals to be transported. The sub-committee will submit its report within three weeks, officials said here.

“The sub-committee will decide and recommend to the government the exact cap on extraction of minerals. It will also decide on the exact limit to be fixed on dispatch of iron ore from Joda and Koida circles for 2015-16 on the basis of the mines that are now operating and that will become operational in the coming days based on the environmental clearances currently in their possession. The government will take a decision on the basis of the recommendations made by sub-committee,” sate director of mines Deepak Mohanty told media persons after attending a meeting of the state level task force.

The Task force chaired by the chief secretary, G C Pati met here on Tuesday and deliberated on steps to check theft of minerals. He also indicated that some more mines might be reopened on the basis of amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act.

Pati directed the district collector and superintendent of police of respective districts to be pro-active to check theft of minerals by transporting through fake names.

Three squads are already on the job to check theft. The meeting decided to form another squad will be formed for prevention of theft of minerals. In 2014-15, the target for transport of minerals from Joda and Koira circle had been pegged at 44 and 13 million ton.

The Task Force also decided to conduct Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) survey of the 148 iron ore and manganese ore mines in the state. Earlier the state had conducted DGPS surveys of 39 mines based on the recommendations of Justice Shah Commission which probed into the mining scam in the country.

“Lease holders of these mines will be required to complete DGPS survey within six to nine months”, state mines director, Deepak Mohanty on Tuesday told the media persons after attending a meeting of State Level Task Force .

He said the survey work will be taken up as per the guidelines recommended by the M.B. Shah Commission, which inquired into the illegal mining in the state.

The government has constituted a team comprising the Odisha Space Applications Centre (ORSAC) chief executive, director of mines and director of geology to undertake the survey work.