BHUBANESWAR: The State Government on Tuesday once again rejected the Opposition demand for a CBI probe into the multi-crore mining scam saying the Vigilance probing into the matter is doing an excellent job. The demand for a CBI inquiry is not accepted since the Vigilance is doing a good job, Steel and Mines Minister Raghunath Mohanty told the Assembly. Moreover, the Opposition demand is uncalled for when the illegal mining activities are being probed by a judicial commission headed by Justice MB Shah, a retired judge of the Supreme Court. Asserting that the Government has taken strong action against the people indulging in illegal mining activities, the Minister said mining operation of 246 mines and 330 trading licences had been suspended. Responding to specific queries from KV Singhdeo, the BJP Legislature Party Leader, the Minister said the State Government refused grant of mining lease to Ram Bahadur Thakur Limited (RBTL) on the basis of the administrative inquiry report. RBTL filed a revision application with the revisional authority which set aside the Government order with a direction to the State Government to extend grant of consequential benefit to the company. The State Government challenged the order of the revisional authority in the Orissa High Court. In case of Arjun Ladha, the Government determined the lease grant (for cancellation) of the former on the basis of a joint verification report. The applicant filed a revision case on June 22 before the revisional authority which set aside the order of the State Government on November 29. The Government is examining the order of the revisional authority, he said. Initiating the discussion on the supplementary demand of grants of the Steel and Mines Department, Naba Kishore Das of Congress slammed the Government for not making a single arrest in the multi-crore scam. He alleged that Government succeeded in its efforts to divert the Shah Commission from probing the RBTL and Arjun Ladha mines. Refuting the charges of the Congress leader, the Minister said the Shah Commission had come prepared with the list of mines it would visit. The State Government had nothing to do with it. KV Singhdeo alleged that looting of minerals is still rampant despite the Government claim that it had cracked a whip on the illegal mining activities. He sought to know as to why not a single person of RBTL, Arjun Ladha, BC Dev mines have been arrested. If the State Vigilance is so competent to probe the mining scam, Singhdeo wanted know as to why the investigating agency which registered 179 cases has not submitted its report in a single case. Not satisfied with the reply of the minister, the Opposition staged a walkout.
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