Bhubaneswar, March 10 (IANS) More than 90,000 tonnes of iron ore have been seized from Orissa’s mineral-rich Keonjhar district during a crackdown on illegal mining, police said Wednesday.
Mining officials and police seized the iron ore Tuesday evening from two railway sidings in Jurudi and Bansapani in Keonjhar, about 235 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar.

“We have seized more than 60,000 tonnes of iron ore from Jurudi railway siding and more than 30,000 from Bansapani,” Keonjhar Superintendent of Police Ashish Kumar Singh said.

The crackdown started after mining officials alleged that iron ore was transferred illegally through these railway sidings.

“We got a complaint from mining officials that iron ore was being transported out from the railway sidings. We conducted the raid and seized huge amount of iron ore. During the raid we found that the ore was illegally hoarded there,” he added.

After the seizure, the ore has been handed over to mining officials and will be auctioned.

“As no one has turned up to claim the iron ore, the mining department will auction them with due procedures,” Deputy Director Mines Umesh Chandra Jena said.

Investigations into illegal mining in Orissa by various state and central agencies started after some politicians alleged in July that some mines were operating without licenses.

The state vigilance department is probing the alleged mining scam.