Cuttack, Nov. 28: A PIL seeking judicial intervention to stop shifting of Orissa Mining Corporation’s (OMC) regional office at Jajpur-Keonjhar (J.K.) Road to Kaliapani Central Township 50km away, has been filed in Orissa High Court.
OMC’s managing director had issued orders for the regional office to start functioning at Kaliapani from January 1, 2011. The regional office is being shifted “for the larger interest of the corporation and in order to enhance the administrative efficiency,” he stated on August 18, 2010.
The petition, sought quashing of the order as the decision was taken to shift to a nondescript remote countryside infested with forest cover 50km from J.K. Road on the premise of interest of the corporation neglecting its location, environmental and geographical advantages.
“When the OMC branch office located at Kaliapani is not having adequate infrastructure there is no justification for shifting the regional office to the area which has been a happy hunting ground for Maoist ultras,” the petition contends.
Bidyadhar Mohanty (52), a social activist and the president of Jajpur district committee of Indian National Trade Union Congress (Intuc) has filed the petition. The advocate general’s office had served copies of the petition to the steel and mines department for necessary clarification before the case is taken up for hearing, court sources said.
According to the petition, the OMC regional office complex including 110 residential quarters at J.K. Road which sprawls over 6.22 acres and is valued at Rs 1,02,53,000. Besides, an amount of Rs 2,42,87,000 was spent on construction, renovation and maintenance of the office of the OMC during 2009-2010.
There are 135 employees with 700 family members residing at J.K. Road, the hub of business, trade, commerce and industrial activities along with institutions of higher education, technical institution and medical facilities.
“The OMC regional office is located in J.K. Road in close vicinity of Kalinga Nagar industrial belt which includes Jindal Stainless Ltd, VISA Steel, Nilachal Ispat Nigam besides banking, transport, communication and allied infrastructure facilities,” the PIL contends.
“Shifting of the regional office will be detrimental to public interest at large,” the petition said.
