The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has expressed displeasure over the non-recovery of Rs 7.30 crore environmental compensation from the illegal laterite stone mining operators in Odisha’s Keonjhar district.
The tribunal earlier on 2 December 2019 had computed the compensation amount of Rs 7.30 crore on the reports of a joint inquiry committee and had ordered for the recovery of compensation from 78 miners in the Madanpur area under Ghasipura tehsil of Keonjhar district. However, to date, only Rs 2,21,746 amounting to 0.25 percent of the Rs 7.30 crore compensation sums has been recovered from the miners.
“Let the State respondents file a 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”, a two-member bench of NGT said while posting the matter for further hearing on 29 April.