Illegal quarrying at Saroi hills. Telegraph picture

Jajpur, Feb. 12: Orissa High Court has ordered the state vigilance organisation to conduct a probe into the alleged illegal lifting of minerals from the Saroi hills under Dharmasala block in this mineral-rich district.

While disposing of a public interest litigation, the two-judge bench of Chief Justice V. Gopala Gowda and Justice B.N. Mahapatra has directed director of vigilance to undertake a spot inspection to probe into the allegations made in the PIL and submit a report within two weeks.

The court has also asked the Jajpur district collector to submit a report mentioning steps taken for preventing illegal extraction of minerals beyond the leased area.

The PIL filed by Sarbeswar Behura and Bipin Kumar Nayak of Saroi alleged that illegal mining activities were going on in the state despite a public outcry. Rampant illegal quarrying activities were going on in the Saroi hills for several years in the district right under the nose of Dharmasala tehsildar and Jajpur sub-collector.

Maximum illegal mining had been carried beyond the lease hold areas of quarry No. 1 and No. 2 of the hills by mafias with impunity, the petitioners claimed.

The petitioners had earlier written to the revenue divisional commissioner (central division), who directed additional district magistrate stationed at Kalinga Nagar to conduct an inquiry into the allegations. After initiating a detailed inquiry, the additional district magistrate found the allegations true and reported to the revenue divisional commissioner for action against the offenders. Though the report had been submitted to the revenue divisional commissioner by the additional district magistrate for the last seven months, no action had been taken, lamented the petitioners.

Finding no other alternative, local people finally moved the court to stop plunder of natural resources.