Orissa seeks Jharkhand’s help to check illegal mining

BHUBANESWAR - Orissa has sought Jharkhand’s help to check illegal mining in the state, a senior official has said.

“I have recently written to the secretary of mines and geology of Jharkhand,” said Orissa’s Steel and Mines Secretary Ashok Mohadeo Rao Dalwai.

“Since mine operators are working across borders, we told them we need to work together to check illegal mining,” Dalwai told IANS.

“If they agree, we can form a common team for this,” he said. “We are waiting for a response.”

Jharkhand is home to 40 percent of India’s mineral reserves, with Orissa accounting for about 17 percent.

The Orissa government had started an investigation in July following allegations that several mine operators in the state did not have mining licences.

Recently, it stopped work in 128 mines and suspended the licences of operators as they could not produce documents to show that their mining activities were legal.