The State Government’s tall claim of taking measures to check minerals theft seems to be a joke only.
It is evident from an incident in which the Talcher Colliery Police, even though were informed about illegal excavation promptly, have not taken any action against the illegal excavations even after a week.
MCl’s Jagannath OCP Project Officer Santa Kumar Chowdhury had lodged an FIR in the Talcher Colliery Police Station on December 5 alleging that five excavators and 16 trippers had dug the overburden from the plantation site unauthorisedly. Hence, legal action would be taken against them.
Choudhury further informed that he witnessed the illegal work during his routine inspection on the day and with help of MCl security personnel stopped the trippers and excavators from digging the area further. By that time, they had destroyed a big part of plantation. He mentioned registration numbers of the vehicles and some drivers’ names in the complaint.