The Odisha government has moved for property attachment of six iron ore lessees, which had extracted iron and manganese ore beyond the limit approved under environment clearance, for their inability to pay penalty on time.
Six lessees
The lessees are Shive Dutt Sharma, BPME Limited, Naryani Sons, Basudev Agarwal, B.K. Mohanaty and Orissa Minerals Development Company Limited.
The six lessees, who were operating mines in Keonjhar district, had not paid penalty amounting to ₹1,977.27 crore. Proceedings against them were initiated under the Orissa Public Demands Recovery Rules, 1963.
In 2017, the Supreme Court had ordered that mining companies which had extracted iron and manganese ore beyond the limit approved under environment clearance would have to pay ₹17,576.17 crore compensation. So far, mining companies have paid penalties amounting to ₹14,800 crore.