February 21st 2025.
Joda, a town located in the Keonjhar district, has recently been facing a major issue of large-scale theft of valuable minerals. The source of this theft has been traced to an abandoned crusher unit near Behera hutting, on the outskirts of the town. The matter was brought to light after a joint raid was conducted by the Mines department and Joda police, resulting in the seizure of a vehicle that was illegally transporting the stolen minerals.
Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the crusher unit had stopped operations back in 2008-09, leaving behind a massive amount of high-grade iron ore. Mining officer Deepak Kumar Dhurua revealed that the department was officially informed about the closure of the mine and the amount of minerals left behind. The recent raid was carried out in the early hours of Monday, under the guidance of senior mining officials. This led to the recovery of a trailer loaded with stolen minerals, while the illegal operators managed to escape under the cover of darkness. A mobile phone was also found in the vehicle, which could potentially provide valuable information about the culprits involved.
Following the incident, a team of officials was dispatched to the site by Joda Deputy Director of Mines, Dinesh Agrawal, to conduct a thorough investigation. Additionally, officials from the Forest department, led by forest guard Nilam Mohanta, also conducted their own inspections. It was discovered that there are several abandoned crusher units and inactive stockpiles in the Joda mining circle, which collectively hold minerals worth over Rs 100 crore. Furthermore, due to a lack of coordination between the Mines and Railway departments, iron ore worth around Rs 200 crore is currently stranded at various railway sidings. The Mines department has seized these minerals, as the Railway authorities have not granted permission for their transportation.
Despite the Mines department's efforts to auction the idle minerals lying on railway sidings, there has been no response from the Commercial Divisional Railway Manager, Chakradharpur. Moreover, there are ongoing court cases regarding the stockpiling of minerals at abandoned crusher units, which have yet to be resolved. In the midst of all this, the recent auction of some of the seized iron ore by the Odisha Mining Corporation has caught the attention of illegal mineral traders from neighboring states. It is believed that corrupt government officials and anti-social elements are involved in these illegal operations.
According to Mining Deputy Director Agrawal, there are millions of tonnes of dumped minerals scattered across various abandoned sites. However, due to a lack of logistical support, authorities have been unable to relocate these minerals to a secure location. He reassured that efforts are being made to coordinate with the Odisha Mining Corporation and take necessary steps. The owner of the stockpile at Behera hutting has also been served a notice to disclose the quantity of iron ore stored there, added Agrawal.
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