Observations on M.B. Shah report with Cabinet on 20 January

New Delhi: The committee of secretaries evaluating the recommendations made by the justice M.B. Shah Commission on illegal mining in Odisha is likely to submit its observations to the Cabinet along with an “action taken report” by 20 January, according to a steel ministry official.

“The committee is meeting next on 15th (January),” the official said. The Cabinet will then take a final decision on which recommendations of the commission to accept and which to reject, the official said, requesting anonymity. The “action taken report” along with the original Shah Commission report will then be presented to Parliament in the upcoming “vote on account” session in February.

Justice M.B. Shah was asked to examine the extent of illegal mining of manganese and iron ore in seven mineral-rich states in 2010 and in the latest five-volume report on Odisha, it has made several recommendations.

These include banning mining around Baitarani river, recovering ₹ 60,000 crore—the loss caused to the exchequer due to illegal mining—from the miners and granting all future mining leases via auctions only.

PTI contributed to the story.