Union Minister and Congress candidate for the Baleswar lok Sabha seat Srikant Jena on Thursday alleged that chromite ore worth Rs 20,000 crore has been looted from the State’s mines in a nexus between Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and owners and managers of two mining companies in last 10 years.
“This loot has been thoroughly exposed by a case registered in a court at Jajpur Road on March 12, 2014 under directions from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF),” Jena said in a statement.
Jena said that while one of the two companies is Bhubaneswar-based and another is operating in Baleswar. The owner of the Bhubaneswar-based company is an incumbent BJD MP and has been re-nominated to fight the ensuing elections from the same seat while the manager of the other company, who was inducted into the BJD by Naveen Patnaik recently, has been nominated for a lok Sabha seat.
Jena further stated that an affidavit submitted in the court has clearly mentioned that two companies grossly violated environmental clearances (ECs) and illegally mined nearly 25 lakh metric tonnes of chromite worth Rs 20,000 crore.
“This mega loot could not have happened unimpeded for 10 years if not for the patronage and direct supervision of Naveen Patnaik,” Jena alleged.
Alleging that thousands of trucks carried illegally-mined ore to Kendrapada via Jajpur Road, Korei and Dharmasala and then to the Paradip Port and also through Baleswar to Kolkata and Haldia Ports, Jena said the trucks could not have run without support from
Jena demanded that the CBI take immediate action and prosecute the owners and mangers of the two companies and the Chief Minister.
Besides, he demand that the mining operations of the companies be taken over by the Government and the lost amount be recovered and spent for development of Jajpur, Kendrapada and Baleswar districts.
He demanded that the role of both ruling party and some opposition politicians in the illegal chromite transport business be thoroughly probed.