Oram for probe into minerals worth crores lying in Odisha’s Sundargarh

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Sundargarh, Oct 8:

Union Tribal Welfare minister Jual Oram has sought probe by Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) into the reports of illegal minerals stacked near a railway siding in the district.

Unhappy over the local administration’s slack attitude towards the unclaimed minerals worth crores of rupees lying near Rengra railway siding in the Koida mines, Oram has written a letter to Union Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar today in this regard.

In his letter, Oram has requested his ministerial colleague to send a team of IBM officials to probe into the incident and initiate appropriate action in this regard.

“Neither the local administration nor the Deputy Director of Mines of the circle has not taken proper action after inquiring into the allegations. I have information from the locals that these are the stolen iron ore from local mines by a local contractor and it is worth around Rs 100 crore,” Oram said.

“I want the IBM officials to probe into the matter and initiate appropriate action in this regard,” he added.

When asked, district magistrate Bhupendra Singh Poonia said, “We have to check whether the iron ore is waste material or commercial grade iron ore. We will take appropriate action.”