Mining mafias in Odisha won’t be spared: CM Mohan Charan Majhi
Majhi said though the district has all sorts of minerals, iron ore, manganese, dolomite and limestone, it has been systematically looted by the mining cartels over last 24 years
Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi has said that his government will ensure strict action against those involved in mining cartels particularly from the state’s Keonjhar district.
Majhi said after the 2019 election, the then BJD government tried to get him into their party. (Mohan Charan Majhi | Facebook)
Addressing a public meeting at Keonjhar stadium on Sunday, Majhi said though the district has all sorts of minerals, iron ore, manganese, dolomite and limestone, it has been systematically looted by the mining cartels over last 24 years.
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“Those who were in power for the last 24 years have looted its District Mineral Foundation (DMF) and Odisha Mineral Bearing Areas Development Corporation (OMBADC) funds. Anyone who has looted the money meant for poor tribals and as well as the minerals will not be spared and sent to jails in Koenjhar and Bhubaneswar,” said Majhi.
Majhi, who is an MLA from Keonjhar Sadar, said after the 2019 election, the then BJD government tried to get him into their party.
“However, they have miscalculated. I am not the one to be allured by mining lease. I would continue to fight against the loot of minerals. I have no fear,” said Majhi.
“The previous regime had become too arrogant. Democracy was being steamrolled and the words of a super chief minister were final. They had become so arrogant that a report by the state intelligence of the super chief minister’s presence in public meetings harming BJD’s prospects was ignored. The super chief minister did not know that the ground was sliding below his feet,” he said.
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.
