Bhubaneswar, May 19: The Orissa government has decided to make the process of mineral extraction and transaction more transparent.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meet chaired by chief minister Naveen Patnaik here today. Moreover, the government briefed a visiting World Bank team on the steps being taken to maintain transparency in the mining sector. The officials were also briefed on the measures to contain the pollution level in the mineral rich areas.

Steel and mines minister Raghunath Mohanty said: “All works relating to awarding license for mining leases will be made online from June 15 this year. All mining contractors and owners will have to apply online and later the award will be decided. No one will be encouraged to run to the Secretariat to get things done.”

All the industrial houses, engaged in the mineral sector, have been asked to provide information relating to extraction and transaction to the Orissa government. This will help the authorities prepare a data bank.

The government also reiterated its stance that all those who have been involved in the looting of minerals, whether a politician or influential one, would be booked as per the law.

“We will not spare anyone,” said Mohanty.

Last week, vigilance sleuths had raided the office of a transport company, owned by the son of BJD MLA Kalpataru Das, for his alleged involvement in transportation of illegally extracted minerals.

According to the plan, the government has decided to introduce transit passes from June 15.

“The transporters will be recognised only through transit passes. This will help the authorities track the destination of minerals,” said steel and mines secretary Manoj Ahuja. It has been alleged that minerals worth thousands of crores of rupees were being exported outside Orissa.

The commerce and transport department will provide the transit passes. The passes will have holograms to make it tamper-proof.

For each consignment, three passes will be issued and it will carry signature of the deputy director of mines. While the railways will keep one pass, the other two passes will be kept by the mines owner and the deputy director.

The transit passes will be scrutinised at various check gates and ports. Based on the passes, the port officials can levy custom duties.

In another development, the Orissa government has also decided that it would act tough against the mine owners who were operating beyond their permissible area of lease. Chief secretary Bijay Patnaik said: “We will adhere to the guidelines issued by the India Bureau of Mines (IBM) on this issue.”