IN THE HIGH COURT OF ORISSA AT CUTTACK W.P.(C) No. 18542 of 2024 Arnada Kumar Mohanty …. Petitioner Mr. Abhishek Dash, Advocate -versus-

State of Odisha and others …. Opposite Parties Ms. Aishwarya Dash, Additional Standing Counsel CORAM:

HON’BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE AND HON’BLE MR JUSTICE MURAHARI SRI RAMAN

ORDER

Order No. 18.02.2026

02. 1. Undisputedly, the petitioner was granted a Sand Sairat on execution of an agreement for a period of five years under the relevant provisions contained in Odisha Minor Minerals Concession Rules, 2016 (in short “the OMMC Rules, 2016”) but was unable to operate the said sand sairat for a period of four months as the consent to operate was granted by the competent authority thereafter. 2. The petitioner made an application to the competent authority way back in the year 2023, yet the said application is kept in abeyance and no decision has yet been taken thereupon. It is inconceivable that once the application is made asserting the right emanating from the statutory provision, the authority is still sitting over the same keeping the right of the parties in lurch.

3. Rule 63 of the OMMC Rules, 2016 confers a right on the lessee or holder of a prospecting li