Orissa: Mining lessees to pay for uplift of tribals

The TAC,which met under the chairmanship of CM Naveen Patnaik,on Saturday approved the draft regulation.

Currently,mining lessees are paying royalty under Section 9 of the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act-1957. Under the new regulation,the government would form a Peripheral Developmental Committee,which would collect funds from mining lessees. The revenue collected under this would be used for building hospitals,schools,roads and providing drinking water and sanitation facilities.

Meanwhile,Vedanta Aluminas hopes of mining bauxite were dampened further after the sixth pallisabha at Bathudi village,Rayagada district,unanimously rejected the idea. Of the 40 eligible voters,31 including 18 women tribals attended the pallisabha.