In many cases, forest clearance was not obtained, says committee The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has found large-scale illegal mining of iron and manganese ore in the forest lands of Odisha. In its report submitted to the apex court in a public interest writ petition seeking a ban on illegal mining in Odisha, the CEC, quoting the figures of the Odisha government, said, “As per the details given by the Odisha Forest Department, 286.392 lakh MT of iron ore, valued at Rs.13,898.20 crore has been excavated from the forest land without approvals under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. Out of the above, 67.74 lakh MT was illegally excavated during the years 1985-98, 54.38 lakh MT from November 17, 2002 to February 15, 2005 and 164.27 lakh MT from August 15, 2005 to August 27, 2009.” Indicting the State government for permitting such illegal mining, the CEC said, “It is seen that illegal mining in the forest area included in the mining lease has been undertaken on a massive scale by the lessee concerned and that too spread over a large number of years. The CEC is unable to comprehend how illegal mining on such a massive scale was allowed to take place and how by issuing transit permits such illegal mineral was allowed to be transported through the Railways.” The panel said that in many instances the environmental clearance had been obtained, but the requisite forest clearance had not been obtained before commencing mining. The CEC wanted the court to consider directing that “70 per cent of the notional value of the minerals extracted from the forest land falling in Kasia and Jilling Langalota mining leases without approvals under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, should be paid as compensation by the lessee, which will be deposited in the Special Purpose Vehicle for undertaking specific tribal and area development works.” The report also wanted the court to consider directing the State government not to consider grant of approval under Section 8 (3) of the Mines and Minerals Development (Regulation) Act for the second renewal of the leases. In many cases, forest clearances were not obtained