Common Cause Advocacy Updates

Common Cause sent a representation to Principal Secretary to Govt of Odisha, Department of Steel & Mines, Director of Mines, Govt of Odisha and PS to Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha on December 8, 2020, to initiate action against mining companies. We requested for a timely response against these mining companies for their non-compliance of the legal mandate of Rule-12A of Mineral Concession Rules, 2016 and Mine Development and Production Agreements. The non compliance constitutes having completely failed to maintain minimum dispatch of 80% of the average annual production of iron ore of two immediately preceding years on a pro-rata basis.

Common Cause highlighted how the law does not provide any room to the mining leaseholders to cover up the shortfall in the minimum production/dispatch by ramping up iron ore mining towards the end of the year. If the legislature had any such intention, the phrase “pro-rata basis” would not have been used by it. We underscored that such a steep rise in mining within a very short duration is not environmentally sustainable. Thus, any failure on the part of the mining leaseholders in maintaining the minimum production on pro-rata basis will attract mandatory action as per the terms of the MDPA.