Kusum seeks probe into coal smuggling in Hemgir

Update: 2025-04-08 08:19 IST
Kusum seeks probe into coal smuggling in Hemgir
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Bhubaneswar: Senior BJP leader and former Sundargarh MLA Kusum Tete, on Monday, demanded a high-level probe into the rampant coal smuggling from opencast coal mines in Hemgir block of Sundargarh district. Tete, through a letter addressed to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, has drawn his attention towards the rampant smuggling of coal from Sundargarh to outside the State. She claimed that the illegal coal smuggling has been causing huge revenue loss to the State coffers. “Even though the rich mineral soil of Hemgir block’s Gopalpur area under the jurisdiction of Sundargarh Assembly Constituency is bestowed with Asia’s largest opencast coal mines and Government of India (GoI)’s Navratna company Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) has been tapping the ‘Black Diamond’ since the 1990s, anti-social elements and coal mafias are having a hey day with impunity by giving a damn to both the district and State administrations,” wrote Tete.

She further stated the Central government has already leased out mining blocks formally to certain legal-lease-holding companies for coal mining operations and the State is earning revenue handsomely.

“Nevertheless, such rampant coal smuggling being committed clandestinely in a massive manner over the years from Kulapada and Telendihi reserve forest area in Hemgir block’s Gopalpur village periphery by the coal scamsters and unscrupulous traders not only is causing grave concerns to the law-abiding and conscious citizens, but also to the utter chagrin of hapless locals.

The coal smuggling den in question here is claimed to be spread over a 30 km radius within the reserve forest area with more than 100 coal mining sites and over 40 coal stockyards,” the senior BJP leader added. Tete stated the massively looted booty of coal is allegedly being smuggled out to Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.She also statedthese nefarious practices were recently exposed by some local media channels, following which a raid was launched jointly by the Sundargarh district administration, police and Forest department sleuths led by the Sundargarh Sub-Collector.

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