BHUBANESWAR: Besides taking steps to check illegal mining, the State Government has decided to closely monitor transportation of minerals to detect overloading which is a major component of the multi-crore mining scam. Official sources said registration of contractors for loading and unloading will be done only after police verification. Transporters and their vehicles will also have to be registered under the Director of Mines. For checking overloading of minerals, check-gates having weighbridges will be modernised. Ten such check-gates have already been identified. Paradip Port Trust (PPT) will provide two lorry weighbridges so that trucks can be checked for overloading of minerals anywhere. The decisions were taken at a high-level meeting presided over by Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik here on Friday. Official sources said 21 weighbridges in Joda sub-division and 14 in Koida will be operationalised. The Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC) will engage 109 employees for running of the weighbridges. Similarly, at Baripada four weighbridges will be operationalised while 23 will be made operational in Jajpur district. Besides, two private weighbridges each will be allowed to function at Baripada and Paradip. However, the staff for these will be provided by the OMC. According to sources, all weighbridges in Joda mining sector will be computerised. The State Government has already prepared a database of 599 lessees and 3,110 licencees. Every lessee has been given a 12-digit code number. The database has been made public by the Steel and Mines Department. Official sources said the Department now gets details on issuance of iron ore to different places and royalty collected for this on a daily basis. It was decided that scrutiny will be intensified in Nalda and Bileipada areas to check illegal mining and transportation. Besides pressing into service the multi- department task force, one platoon of police force will be deployed. Mobile parties and special enforcement forces will be also engaged there.
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