Mines on a closure spree

ROURKELA: With the members of MB Shah Commission of inquiry scheduled to visit Koida mining areas on December 7 and 8 over the illegal mining issue, the Mining Department has created more problems for itself in the process of presenting it in good light. The department has effected random closure of a majority of private mines in the Koida mining sector. Even as  police renewed crackdown on illegal mines about 10 days back, Mines Director Subhendu Das slapped notices of non-compliance of norms on illegally operating mines following which 11 mines were closed for different reasons.Sources said of the 71 mines only 16 and just about half-a-dozen crushers are functioning at Koida. Six months ago when open theft of minerals at Koida was rampant, local mining officials were accused of conniving in it. It was the Rourkela police at Koida and their Keonjhar counterparts from neighbouring Barbil mining sector, who drastically curbed illegal mining in Sundargarh and Keonjhar districts with strong enforcement.The Government’s action has upset supply of iron ore to local industries even as thousands of workers in mining and transportation activities are left idle. The hasty action of the Mining Department has angered CITU with its Odisha unit general secretary Bishnu Mohanty saying that thousands of mine workers and those at the railway loading points of Barsuan, Bimlagarh and Renjda and truck drivers were left without livelihood.