Orissa government on Wednesday put under suspension director of state mines department R.N. Sahoo in connection with multi-crore mining
scam in the state. The move follows interrogation of the mines official by the vigilance sleuths recently.
The vigilance department which is probing into the mining scam that threatened to tarnish the image of chief minister Naveen Patnaik.
Earlier, five senior officials of mines department were suspended in the same case.
The opposition Congress had alleged that the scam pertaining to illegal mining and sale of minerals like iron ore, manganese and chrome ore from different mines in Orissa could run to thousands of cores rupees and had demanded CBI probe.
A two-member bench of the Orissa high court recently had issued notices to the governments at the centre and state besides CBI while admitting a public interest litigation [PIL] case seeking probe by the premier investigating agency into alleged multi-crore mining scam.
The vigilance department has already detected illegal mining and transportation of iron ore and manganese worth Rs 110 crore from a mine at Joda in Keonjhar district.
A mine trader, one retired mines department officer, five senior officials of the mines department and one forest officer were earlier arrested in this connection and later released on bail.
SourcE: Economic Times
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