The
Justice M B Shah Commission report on illegal mining in Odisha will be tabled
on friday in Parliament as the Cabinet has approved making public the first
part of the recommendations along with action taken report.
The Cabinet, headed
by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, approved the ATR (action taken report)
at its meeting this evening, a senior minister said.
The
Commission in the first report containing five volumes has
recommended a CBI probe into
all reported cases of illegal mining during 2008-2011, including the FIRs
lodged by the police and vigilance departments. The high powered panel has also said that the
CBI inquiry would also unearth many more untraced cases. The ATR has cited the
Odisha government's reluctance on holding a CBI inquiry but it did not state
what views the Centre has on the matter. Sources said the ATR states that the
government of Odisha is of the view that as the trial of nine criminal cases
has already started and the trial courts have taken cognizance of the offences,
there is no need of investigation by the CBI.
The
ATR, prepared by a Committee of Secretaries headed by Cabinet Secretary Ajit
Kumar Seth, states that the Odisha government has conveyed it has taken
action against the lessee and power of attorney holder for illegal mining in
Joda circle. "They have informed that six public interest litigation
(PIL) petitions have been filed in the High Court of Orissa in this regard,
including a petition for transfer of the cases to CBI.
These
PILs are still pending," the ATR added.
The
Shah Commission, which submitted its report in two parts, said: "All modes
of illegal mining" were being carried out in Odisha and "it appears
that law has been made helpless because of its systematic
non-implementation." Recommending recovery of over Rs 59,203 crore from
miners in the state for extracting iron ore "illegally and without lawful
authority," the Commission said there was a collapse of government
machinery during 2008-2011. It "looked to be ineffective and helpless in
front of mining mafia, persons in political life, mighty lessees and some
corrupt officials," the high-powered panel said. Moreover, the high
powered panel had also found "one of the biggest illegal mining
ever", worth over Rs 2,000 crore, in the Uliburu Reserve and Revenue
Forests of the state and recommended handing over the inquiry to the CBI. The
Commission has termed filing of a case by the state forest department on the
matter as an attempt "mainly to cover up such a big scandal and for
finding a way out to escape".
According
to official sources, the UPA government is unlikely to make the full report of
the Shah Commission public and only the first part, which was submitted in
July, 2013, will be tabled during the current session of Parliament, along with
the ATR.