NGT seeks particulars from govt on restoration of environmental compensation

By Express News Service

CUTTACK: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought particulars from the State authorities relating to steps being taken to recuperate Rs 7.30 crore environmental compensation from 78 unlawful laterite stone miners recognized in Madanpur space underneath Ghasipura tehsil of Keonjhar district.

NGT’s East Zone Bench in Kolkata was listening to a petition associated to unlawful laterite stone mining in Madanpur on Tuesday.The petition was filed by Sudhanshu Sekhar Kuanr and Sambit Ranjan Kuanr of the locality in 2019.Earlier, an NGT constituted committee after joint inspection had computed the compensation quantity of Rs 7.30 crore to be recovered from the unlawful miners on December 2, 2019.

The committee included representatives of Central Pollution Control Board, Kolkata, Odisha State Pollution Control Board, District Mining Officer and Divisional Commissioner, Keonjhar. The Ghasipura Tehsildar had recognized 78 unlawful laterite stone miners by December 20, 2021. The State counsel Samapika Mishra knowledgeable the tribunal {that a} whole quantity of Rs 2,21,746 had been recovered as on Tuesday. Advocate Sankar Prasad Pani appeared on behalf of the petitioners.

The bench of Justice B Amit Sthalekar (judicial member) and Justice Saibal Dasgupta (skilled member) expressed dissatisfaction as the full recovered quantity was simply 0.25 per cent of the Rs 7.30 crore.The bench mentioned, “Let the State respondents file fresh affidavit indicating what steps have been taken for recovery of the remaining amount. The affidavit shall also indicate how many criminal cases have been filed against the illegal miners. The respondents shall also give a list of the dues for recovery and amount recovered against each of the illegal miners in a tabular form.”

The District Magistrate, Keonjhar together with tehsildar, Ghasipura needs to be current bodily earlier than the tribunal on the subsequent date of itemizing (April 29), the bench additional mentioned in its March 15 order.