Member of Justice MB Shah Commission UV Singh at Biju Patnaik Airport in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 31: The six-member Shah commission team investigating the multi-crore mining scam today left for Barbil in Keonjhar district on a field visit.

“We want to have a look at what is going on in the mining belt. Our report, based on these findings, will be submitted in a phased manner,” said team leader U.V. Singh, who is also the principal chief conservator of forests, Karnataka. The team is on its third and final visit to the state, where a mining scam broke in 2009 triggering a political storm.

Apart from the mining belt of Barbil, the commission is also scheduled to visit mines at Koida in Sudergarh district before returning to Bhubaneswar on November 3 when the exercise of scrutinising the state government-issued mining leases would begin.

The steel and mines department and the directorate of mines have assured co-operation to the commission, which has visited the state twice before, first in December 2011 and again in October this year.

“We will provide all support to the commission. We are keeping the relevant information handy,” said mines directorate Deepak Mohanty, who had yesterday attended the high-level meeting convened by chief secretary B.K. Patnaik to crosscheck preparations for the panel’s visit. The team is expected to stay in the state till November 11.

Earlier, the commission had ticked off the state government officials for failing to check mining irregularities, including excavation of minerals within 10km radius of the Similipal wildlife sanctuary.

Sources said it was keen on making field visits this time having received complaints of serious violation of the mining laws by the lessees many of whom were believed to have acted in collussion with the lower-level officials of the mining department.

Officials of the forest department and the Odisha State Pollution Control Board have also faced criticism in connection with having aided, knowingly or unknowingly, illegal extraction of ore from the forest.

The mining lobby, which suffered a setback following vigilance raids against mining companies in 2009, has been working overtime to revive the mines closed down in the wake of the scandal. Sources said nearly 300 mines across the state were asked to shut down following allegations of illegal mining. Some of these mines had continued to operate without valid environment clearance.

Sources said the state government had asked the collectors of Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Sundergarh to keep the mining related documents ready for the team, which during its last visit, had scrutinised 93 mining leases issued by the state government. This time, the panel has decided to examine the details of another 99 leases issued to mine owners in different parts of the state.

The commission is also said to have received complaints about mines operating in the state taking advantage of the “deemed extension” clause of the Mines and Minerals and Development and Regulation Act.

The clause allows a mine owner, whose licence renewal application is pending with the state government, to continue mining. As many as 83 iron ore mines, 53 manganese mines and 10 chromite mines are functioning on the strength of the deemed extension clause.

Even though the state government has promised all co-operation to the commission, the Opposition continues to doubt its intentions and demands a CBI inquiry into the scam. Opposition leaders also allege that the state government, which is keenly aware of the involvement of some of its own leaders in the scam, is trying to suppress facts from the panel.

Some civil society activists, too, are likely to meet the members of the commission to air their grievances. These leaders are also awaiting the verdict of Orissa High Court on a bunch of petitions demanding CBI inquiry into the scam.