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The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has detected mining irregularities worth ₹1,210.82 crore in Odisha, flagging unlawful coal production by Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) beyond or without valid environmental clearance, short levy of royalty and other mining dues, and mining without a valid consent to operate at an iron and manganese mine. The audit found that MCL's Kalinga opencast project in Talcher extracted over 1.15 crore tonnes of coal after its environmental clearance had effectively expired in October 2021, valued at ₹956.56 crore, while nine MCL mines under-assessed royalty and other dues by ₹92.39 crore for not including sizing charges in the coal price. The findings come amid a row over the Centre's Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act amendments restricting states' power to levy additional cess on mineral-bearing land.