According to the most recent announcement by the Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick, Odisha’s government will confiscate property of 56 mining lease holders under the Odisha Public Demands Recovery Act if they fail to pay their dues within 60 days. The 56 mining lease holders owe Rs 7,689 ($1.2 billion) in penalties for illegal mining according to India’s Supreme Court’s directive in August 2017. The initial citation included 131 mining lease holders for close to $2.8 billion dollars of which approximately 57 percent has been collected, leaving 43 percent pending. On December 31, 2017, the court ordered the Odisha government to collect additional penalties of 12 percent interest for the unpaid mining leases.
In response, the Mining Owners Association spokesperson Mr. Mohanty stated that all defaulting mine lease holders would make relevant payment within the 60-day period.