Mining tsunami”, as many refer to the speculated contents in the Justice MB Shah Commission of Inquiry’s report pointing to corruption in Odisha’s mining sector, is likely to damage the State’s BJD Government.
No one yet knows the intensity of this tsunami as the details of the commission’s report are still awaited from the Union Ministry of Mines, to which the Central Government-appointed commission has submitted its first final report of 1,500 pages.
The persons engaged in the loot of iron ore and manganese in the State and their patrons in the Government are now reportedly a scared lot. The commission has also earlier filed its report on illegal mining in Goa. The mining scam in Karnataka had also witnessed the fall of a Chief Minister.
The huge report on Odisha had remained in a sealed cover as Union Mines Secretary RH Khawaja was on leave on Monday when it was submitted. Sources said that after returning from leave, the Secretary is going into the details of the report.
However, the report will be made officially public after it is placed in Parliament. Meanwhile, after going through the report, the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Mines could give certain instructions to the State Government, said officials here.
Sources said there are several chapters in the report, which also include forest and environment violations, mining rule violations, illegal mining outside the lease areas.