leader of Opposition in State Assembly and senior Congress leader Narasingha Mishra on Wednesday alleged bauxite mines in Rayagada and Kalahandi districts have been allotted to larsen and Turbo limited (l& T) in contravention of the MMDR Act due to a secret deal between the State Government and the Centre.
The scam has been possible through a favouritsm shown to the l&T throwing the existing rules to wind on a recommendation of the State Government to the Centre and the latter approving it, said Mishra. Addressing a Press conference here, Mishra alleged that the State Government recommended to the Central Government to lease out the bauxite mines of Sijimali of 699.037 hectares and Kutrumali of 830.776 hectares in Rayagada and Kalahandi districts to l&T limited violating the MMDR Act.
“While M/s l&T limited did not fulfill the conditions when it applied for Mining lease (Ml) during 2001, the State Government had rejected the application and slapped the company with a show cause citing as to why its prospective licence would not be cancelled. During the NDA Government, the MMDR Act has been passed. According to it, if any mines are to be given under lease, it would be given through a tender process. There is no question of getting mines through recommendation from a State Government,” contended Mishra.
He said, “All of a sudden, the State Government took the decision to provide lease to l&T and recommended to the Central Government whose Ml application had already been rejected. Hence, it is clear that while the Vedanta Company had not been permitted to get bauxite mines in Niyamgiri, due to a clear deal between the State Government and the BJP-led NDA, l&T has been able to get mine lease.”
Further, Mishra alleged that in 2001 the State Government had rejected the application but now the same file may have been tampered with or misplaced intentionally in order to facilitate leasing out the mines. He demanded an independent judicial inquiry into the whole process by which l&T has got the favour.