 Bhubaneswar : Two more railway sidings were ordered closed in Orissa's mineral rich Keonjhar district to stop illegal mining, officials said.
The railway sidings at Barbil and Bolani have been asked to stop operations after mine department officials found unclaimed iron ore of about 54,000 and 38,000 tonnes respectively lying them.
"The ores that we detected may have been illegally procured," Deputy Director of Mines U.C. Jena told the media, adding that investigations are on. Officials earlier ordered the closure of the railway at Banspani and Jurudi after they detected more than 97,000 tonnes of unclaimed iron ores earlier this week.
Investigations into illegal mining in the state by various state and central agencies started after some politicians alleged in July that some mines were operating without licences. During the past two months, at least 90 people have been arrested in Keonjhar district, 230 km from here, for their involvement in illegal mining.
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