UV Singh (right) arrives at Bhubaneswar airport on Wednesday. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 3: The six-member Justice M.B. Shah Commission team got down to business within hours of its arrival in the city today to probe into a multi-crore mining scam, which has set the political temperature soaring in the state.

Led by Karnataka’s chief conservator of forests U.V. Singh, the team held meetings with officials of the state unit of Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), forest, commercial taxes and the steel and mines departments in the afternoon. It also called for relevant files on the mining leases issued by the state government.

“We have called for all files related to mining leases in the state. As many as 192 mining leases issued for iron and manganese ore mining will be scrutinised,” said Singh, indicating that the team, which had visited the state for the first time in December last year, would also focus on issues such as forest diversion plan in the mining areas.

Singh said the panel would welcome complaints from people though a formal public hearing might not be possible this time. The team is also yet to take a decision on making field visits. “We are now verifying records. If there is need to visit the mining sites, we may do so,” he said.

During their interaction with the team members today, the state government officials briefed them on the steps taken to curb illegal extraction of minerals ever since the multi-crore mining scam had broken in the state in July 2009.

Steel and mines minister Rajani Kant Singh said the government was willing to extend all possible co-operation to the commission, which is probing into illegal mining cases in some other states of the country as well. “We will provide them all support. They can ask for any information they need on the situation in Odisha,” the minister said.

Sources said the Opposition party leaders and civil society activists would meet the team members to brief them on alleged violation of laws in different mining areas of the state. Allegations have been flying thick and fast about mining being undertaken on the sly in some of the areas where the government had formally stopped operations in the wake of the scam.

“Vested interests are at work. There are touts, who are trying to revive mining activities secretly in certain areas in connivance with the government officials. The shortage of manpower with police and the state pollution control board has made the job of these unscrupulous elements easy,” said an activist, who did not wish to be named.

The commission will take note of such allegations. However, the team refused to make any commitment about when it would be able to submit its report.

“We can say that at this moment. The submission of the report depends on the progress of the investigation. If we complete the investigation during this visit, the report may be submitted shortly,” said Singh.