Bhubaneswar, Oct 17: Five leaseholders operating stone quarries associated with the Puri Shree Jagannath Temple have been booked for illegally extracting minor minerals in Khurda district, Odisha. The district administration lodged FIRs against the leaseholders for engaging in unlawful mining activities and extracting excess minerals from the temple’s quarries, which date back to the 12th century.
The FIR was filed at the Khurda Sadar police station after the leaseholders failed to respond to a notice issued by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in August. They also neglected to pay the penalties imposed for exceeding their mining limits. In addition, the five leaseholders have been prohibited from continuing mining operations in their leased areas.
The SJTA had previously issued show-cause notices to 19 leaseholders after allegations of excessive mining surfaced. While 14 leaseholders complied by paying the penalties, action has now been initiated against the remaining five. The notice was issued by Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Chief Administrator of the SJTA, under the Odisha Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 2016. It mandated that violators pay the required royalties, incidental charges, and penalties for over-extraction within seven days.