The State Government is mulling tough action against the mineral transporters who are obstructing movements through railways and creating other hurdles. The Government is contemplating booking them under the National Security Act (NSA) for charging much higher rates for trucks than that approved by the Department of Commerce & Transport.
Official sources said some transport agencies are creating hurdles by obstructing transportation of minerals through railways on the plea that the road transport system is in doldrums. It has also come to fore that miscreants are registering vehicles in i3MS in minerals-rich Keonjhar district under fake names which has become a cause of concern for the police.
Mine owners in districts like Keonjhar, Sundargarh and Jajpur are facing such problems as the transport agencies are quoting astronomical figures, the sources said, adding that these agencies flaunt political patronage to indulge in such activities. Superintendents of Police of these districts have been given a free hand to handle these elements in a tough manner.
A senior official in Department of Steel & Mines said the Government wants fair trade practices in the minerals transportation. The instructions issued in 2011 need changes to cope with the changing environment and it would be worked out soon, he said.