By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, December 31, 2017: The Odisha government has so far been able to collect only Rs 8,196 crore as penalty from mining leaseholders against the demand of Rs 17,576 crore.

The Supreme Court had fixed Sunday midnight as the deadline to collect the penalty on 152 iron ore and manganese lessees for illegal mining.

The Apex Court had imposed the penalty on August 2 on the mining companies as they had carried out mining operation without forest and environment clearances, beyond the permitted area and in excess of what had been allowed.

The government issued demand notices to the leaseholders accordingly and warned that it would suspend mining operation if they failed to submit the amount.

Though the state government is yet to come out with an official penalty figure, data collected from various mining circles said the highest money had been collected under the Joda circle (Rs 4,318 crore as against a demand of Rs 12,222 crore).

Rs 2,450 crore has been collected under the Koira circle as against a demand of Rs 3,395 crore. While Rs 561 crore has been recovered against the demand of Rs 843 crore under the Keonjhar circle, Rs 119 crore has been collected under the Baripada circle. The Jajpur Road circle collected Rs 749 crore, official sources said.