Murum Mining Controversy: Educational Institute and Steel Mill Under Scrutiny in Maharashtra

In Maharashtra's Jalna district, authorities have issued show-cause notices to two establishments for allegedly illegal murum soil extraction. The notices target a state-funded educational institute and a steel mill.

The Institute of Chemical Technology's Jalna campus reportedly extracted 150 brass of murum from designated local areas, leading to a potential penalty of Rs 9.6 lakh in royalty and fines. Officials demand an explanation for why this amount should not be levied on the institute.

A steel mill is accused of larger scale violations, allegedly mining 2,500 brass of murum. The fines and royalty dues for the factory amount to Rs 1.47 crore. The legal actions stemmed from a complaint by a local Congress worker and were confirmed by a revenue department inspection.

(With inputs from agencies.)