Bhubaneswar: Opposition BJP and Congress targeted the State Government in the Assembly over inaction in mining scam that has caused loss of thousands of crores of rupees for exchequer. Raising issue during Zero Hour, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Pradipta Naik (BJP) alleged that mining mafia and bureaucrats have siphoned off about Rs 1 lakh crore due to illegal mining. He too alleged that State suffered losses due to wrong decisions of Mines Secretary RK Sharma.
He wanted to know how mining companies, which are facing Vigilance cases, got their mines renewed. He demanded that a criminal case be initiated against Sharma.
Congress Legislature Party Leader Narasingha Mishra also targeted State Government over the scam. “The Government has lost revenue worth Rs 3,600 crore from nine mines in last three years. It amounts to a whooping Rs 1,200 crore loss per year,” he observed.
Countering allegations, BJD MLA Pratap Deb said Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal and Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had visited Odisha during 2015-16 and stated that State would receive lakhs of rupees from mining revenue. But how much money State actually received, he wanted to know.“ Auctioning of coal blocks is held as per Supreme Court guidelines.
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