Cuttack, Nov. 4: Orissa High Court has ordered a probe by the state CID crime branch into alleged large-scale illegal using of explosives and removal of stones from government quarries in Khurda, Puri, Cuttack and Jajpur districts.

The court issued the order on a PIL seeking intervention against failure of the authorities to curb illegal mining and blasting operations in Khurda and Begunia tehsils of Khurda district. Subham Roy, a third-year student of National Law University, Cuttack, had filed the petition.

"The division bench of Justice B.P. Ray and Justice S.K. Sahoo directed the additional director-general, CID-crime branch, to inquire into the matter and submit a final report to the court in a sealed cover on December 18," petitioner counsel Bibhu Prasad Tripathy said today.

"While issuing the order as vacation judges on October 26, Justice Ray and Justice Sahoo further directed the assistant director of mines to assess the loss of revenue to the state exchequer on account of the illegal removal of stones from government quarries and submit a report on December 18," Tripathy said.

While fixing December 22 as next date for hearing on the matter, the court issued notices to the secretary of the revenue and disaster management department, secretary of steel and mines, deputy-controller of explosives, director of mines and chairman of State Pollution Control Board to file their responses by then.

Though the petition was confined to illegal stone quarrying in Khurda district, the court also brought Cuttack, Puri and Jajpur districts under the purview of the CID-crime branch probe taking note of reports of illegal blasting and removal of stones throughout the state due to non-finalisation of tenders.

The court also expected the additional director-general, CID-crime branch, to "take such measures as may deemed fit and proper to prevent illegal mining of government quarries and if any cognisable offence is made out, register cases against the violators.