The Odisha Mineral Development Company Ltd (OMDC), a Central Government-owned mining company under the Joda mining circle of Keonjhar district, will resume its operations by April 2020.
The OMDC, which is a subsidiary of Rastriya Ispat Nigam Ltd, had expired its lease since 1995 but the company was managing its operation bycontroversial deemed extension scheme of the State Government which was said to be a cause of the multi crore mining scam in the State. However, the company could have resumed its operation by paying the required fine imposed by the Justice Saha Commission, but this was pending since last one and a half years for alleged inefficiency and conspiracy of some senior officers of the public sector company sitting atits headquarters in Kolkata.
After the closure of mines for a very long period, about 900 direct and indirectemployees and many other stakeholders depending on the mines were passing through uncertainty since 2009. In the past, many initiatives taken to resolve the issues and start operation were not successful. However, this time, after Dharmendra Pradhan took over charge as of the Union Steel Minister in NDA-2, a group comprising Mohan Majhi, Sadar MLA (BJP) ,Ananta Nayak, former MP, Keonjhar, Dilip Mishra former Chairman, Barbil Municipality, Radhakanta Mahanta, president, BJP, and Chandragupta Prasad, secretary, MATOA, Barbil had met him and appraised the situation how people are leading a miserable life for the closure of a profitable mines.
Last time, during his visit to Bolani iron ore mines of SAIL, some two months back, Dharmendra had a meeting with the officials of the OMDC and SAIL along with the local BJP leaders. Then, he took up the issues with theState Government officials at Bhubaneswar.
Now, the OMDC headquarters which was at Kolkata for the last 100 years since the inception of Bird Company has been shifted to Bhubaneswar from August 17.
The OMDC has deposited the requisite amount and if other formalities are completed by March 31, 2020, the company will resume its operations from April 2020 for which the Union Steel Secretary has also written a letter to the Chief Secretary of Odisha to look in to the matter.