BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has decided to initiate steps to ease the problem of traffic congestion and movement difficulties caused by heavy pressure of mineral-carrying trucks on roads. A transport plan will be prepared to deal with the problem. This issue was discussed at a meeting presided over by Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik here on Monday. A decision has been taken to conduct a study of the minerals transported by road and other means. Different issues relating to transport of minerals and the resultant difficulties caused to people living along mineral transport corridors were discussed in the meeting. It was decided that the minerals meant for export will be transported to Paradip by railways and that by roads will be discouraged. Steps will be taken to limit the number of trucks plying through NH-215. It was decided that the ideal number of trucks at a given point of time will be kept limited to 2,000. The sub-committee comprising mining, railway and transport authorities, has been constituted to study the transport strength of roads and movement of vehicles at various points. The deputy director of mines, Joda Circle, will act as convener of the committee. The committee will also make a study of daily requirement of coal-consuming plants operating in the State and will suggest possibilities of tagging up the power plants with specific mines and sidings. The committee has been asked to prepare a draft transportation plan. The Chief Secretary has suggested that while conducting the study the committee should think of optimum use of different modes of transportation. The transport plan will have a direct bearing on the extraction of minerals and issue of permits to the transporters. The committee is expected to submit its draft plan within a week. Steel and Mines Secretary Manoj Ahuja, Commerce and Transport Secretary GK Dhal, Orissa State Pollution Control Board Secretary Sidhant Dash and representatives from Railways attended the meeting.
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