Bhubaneswar, March 4: On the last day of its hearing, the Justice M.B. Shah Commission of Inquiry issued instructions for the constitution of five separate teams to make field visit to around 40 mines.

The move comes in response to the demand of mine owners for fresh physical verification of their lease areas as the differential global positioning system used by the government for measurement was not fool proof.

Mines director Deepak Mohanty said while three teams would visit the mining areas in Keonjhar district, two other teams would conduct the survey in Sundergarh district. Each team will have seven members, including two officials each from forest, mining and revenue departments and one scientist from Odisha Space Applications Centre. The government will form a state-level committee to monitor the teams.

Since physical verification involves technical aspects, Mohanty said government had plans for a training session for the officials involved in the survey work.

Appearing before the panel, the leaseholders insisted that the probe panel clear the air on the rules and regulations at reserve forests and wildlife sanctuaries around which mining activities are taking place.

The government found itself in an awkward position as they alleged that there was no clear information on the eco-sensitive and buffer zones of these sanctuaries.

The commission, on its part, has asked the Odisha government, especially the department of environment and forest, to clear their stands on the issues relating to mineral exploration within a 10-km radius of wildlife sanctuaries.

Similar instructions have also gone to the Union environment ministry. Both the state and Centre have reportedly been asked to submit affidavits in this regard before the commission on March 14.

The state government appeared to be on the defensive, as forest officials sought to make it clear that survey on the eco-sensitive and buffer zones of sanctuaries would be completed soon. One committee will be formed for each sanctuary.

As of now, the commission has ruled out the involvement of politicians in the scam, saying there was no direct evidence. This assumes significance in view of the comments made by an Odisha Jan Morcha leader that politicians do have a finger in the mining pie.

The mining scam, said to run into hundreds of crores, broke out in the state in 2009. Though the state government immediately ordered a vigilance probe into the scandal, the demand for a CBI inquiry continues.