Bhubaneswar, Jan. 11: The observations of the two-member probe team on the Lanjigarh mining issue have provided fresh ammunition to the Opposition in Orissa to take on the Naveen Patnaik government.

?The BJD-BJP combine had come to power promising proper use of water, forest and land. But it seems that Patnaik wanted to gift the state?s resources to profiteering companies,? said party spokesperson Prasad Harichandan.

The team submitted its report yesterday. ?The project authorities have take up construction of the alumina refinery without getting clearance under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. This is a violation of the guidelines of the Union ministry of environment and forests. In addition, the company has cleared parts of village forestland at Kothadwar and Kinari,? the 14-page report said. A hearing on the matter will take place on January 18.

Recommending appropriate action against Vedanta Alumina, the team has observed in the report that environmental clearance of the mining site should either proceed or be linked with clearance of the refinery site.

?Niyamgiri is a rich forest from the point-of-view of bio-diversity. A proposal has been approved in the working plan to declare this area as a sanctuary. The state government has also made a proposal to include this area in the new elephant reserve. Further, the hills form the origin of Bansadhara river. The rivulets here are the source of water for the local communities. Any mining in this area is bound to destroy the bio-diversity and affect the availability of water. The question of pollution is also there,? it observed.

The team has also taken exception to the practice of the state-run Orissa Mining Corporation of entering into agreements for allotment of mining areas before obtaining the necessary clearance.

Reacting to the committee report, the chief minister said, ?The law will take its own course, but industrialisation is also important for the state.?