Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s constituency Hinjili has the highest illegal brick kilns in Ganjam district. It was informed by the counsel of the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) recently.
Hearing a petition filed by one Bishnu Prasad Misro against the State Government and the OSPCB about operation of illegal brick kilns in Ganjam district, the NGT had asked the OSPCB to submit affidavit in the case. In the affidavit, Board’s counsel Papiya Banerjee Bihani told the tribunal that 98 numbers of illegal brick kilns were operating their business in the district.
According to the data, Kukudakhandi tehsil has eight brick kilns, Purushottampur tehsil (14), Chikiti (8), Konisi (1), Chatrapur (4), Aska (5), Sheragada (9), Sorada (6), Patrapur (3) and Hinjilicut (40). Sheragada and Hinjilicut, which are coming under the Hinjili Assembly constituency, have the highest 49 illegal brick kiln units.
Misro’s lawyer Biranchi Narayan Mahapatra told the tribunal that most of the brick kiln mafias of Ganjam district were active worker of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and for that reason only the Government officials create hindrances to carry out the order of the Tribunal in its true spirit. “State Government officials are encouraging the mafias in Ganjam to running their illegal business freely without fear,” he added.
Meanwhile, a Division Bench of the tribunal comprised Justice Pratap Kumar Ray (Judicial member) and Prof PC Mishra (Expert member) on August 6 rejected an affidavit filed by one of the officer of the Environment and Forests Department and directed strictly to the Additional Standing Counsel of Odisha, Pravat Kumar Muduli, to file affidavit by the Chief Secretary personally in the case before the next date of hearing on September 9.
Mohapatra said, “The State counsel was told to file an affidavit on behalf the Chief Secretary of Odisha, otherwise the tribunal will pass coercive order against the Chief Secretary in this case.”
Notably, the NGT had directed Chief Secretary, Member Secretary of the OSPCB and Ganjam Collector to close the illegal brick kilns on or before August 6, but the State Government have failed to close the illegal units within the stipulated period as fixed by the tribunal.