Bhubaneswar: The State Vigilance has sought the approval of the state government to initiate criminal proceedings against MLA Jitendra Nath Patnaik alias Jitu Patnaik and 14 other state mining and IBM officials for their alleged involvement in illegal mining of iron ore.

According to official sources, they are responsible for the criminal conspiracy in dishonestly indulging in the mining of iron ore in the BD Patnaik iron ore mines of Kalaparbat, Barbil, thereby obtaining a wrongful pecuniary gain of to the tune of Rs 130.40 crore and causing a corresponding financial loss to the state government.

On the allegation of illegal mining, theft and transportation of iron ore from Kalaparbat Iron Ore Mine of M/s BD Patnaik located at Thakurani Reserve Forest and village Lahanda at Joda in Keonjhar district, a Vigilance inquiry was taken up followed by joint verification from October 28, 2009, to October 30, 2009.

Based on the inquiry and joint check, an FIR was lodged with the Baleswar Vigilance police station, sources said.

The State Vigilance in its report had pointed out that the 15 persons were allegedly liable to be prosecuted under Section 13(2), 13 (i) (d) of PC Act, 1988, sections 379 and 120B of IPC, Section 21 of MMRD Act, 1957, Section 3 of Forest Conservation Act 1980 and Section 58 of MCD rules.

Vigilance in its report had named Jitendra Nath Patnaik, proprietor of BD Patnaik Mines, Joda, Deputy Director of Mines Madan Mohan Biswal, Deputy Director Purnachandara Patra, Deputy Director Manas Ranjan Mohanty, former Deputy Director Sasadhar Sahu, Deputy Director Bijay Kumar Nandi, former Director of Mines Santanu Kumar Mohapatra, Mining Officer Gangadhar Lenka, retired Additional Secretary of Mines Akshaya Kumar Das, retired Deputy Director Nityananda Mohanty, retired Additional Secretary of Mines Asok Kumar Sahu, retired Senior Assistant Prananath Dash, retired Law Officer of the Steel and Mines Departmnt Rabindra Kumar Sarangi, Senior Assistant in the office of the Controller of Mines Gaurang Charan Sethi and Deputy Controller of Mines, IBM, Ranchi Anupam Nandy for their complicity in the act of illegal mining by violating existing laws.