The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which began its hearing in New Delhi on illegal mining in Odisha on Tuesday, heard the contentions of public sector undertakings (PSUs) relating to 32 mines on the first day.
It heard contentions of 21 mines of the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), seven mines of the Steel Authority of India (SAIl) and four mines of the Odisha Minerals Development Corporation ltd (OMDC).
The CEC, headed by its chairman PV Jayakrishnan, matched the production figures of the lessees with those given by the State Government. It also examined the statutory clearances, including environment clearance, of these mines and the excess raising of minerals beyond the approved mining plan.
The CEC basically matched the updated statistical figures with the lessees’. let the CEC decide what action to be taken, said OMC CMD Saswat Mishra. The first phase of the hearing would continue till August 8. The second phase hearing is scheduled for August 12 at which the committee would conduct hearing of 187 leaseholders in the presence of senior officials of the State Government.