Orissa to seize vehicles used in mineral smuggling

Bhubaneswar, Sep 13 (UNI) The Orissa government was planning to empower police with power to seize vehicles involved in smuggling and illegal transportation of minerals, Steel and Mines Minister Padmanav Behera said here today.

The Minister said the government would take a decision to incorporate the provision in the new Act, formulated recently to check the theft of minerals in the state.

The government would soon take a decision to authorise the Deputy Director Mines and district mines officers to file and dispose off the theft and illegal transportation of mineral cases speedily, he said.

Presiding over a meeting to review the progress of revenue collection and smuggling of minerals in the state here, the Minister said the government had a target to collect a revenue of Rs 1045 crore from the mines sector during the financial year 2007-08.

He said while revenue target till August 31,2007 was fixed at Rs 407.58 crore, a sum of Rs 376.38 crore had already been collected.

The revenue collection during the period last year was Rs 343.90 crore.

UNI