Bhubaneswar, Nov. 1: Team members of the Justice M.B. Shah Commission team today inspected mines in Keonjhar and Sundergarh districts and noted cases of excess raising of ore and other violations of the mining regulations.

Sources said the team, accompanied by Odisha mining and forest officials and representatives of the local branch of Indian Bureau of Mines, visited the R.P. Sao and K.J.S. Ahluwalia mines in Keonjhar’s Joda mining circle and Rungta and JSPL mines at the Koida mining circle in Sundergarh.

The team, which expressed displeasure over the absence of lessees at a few places, sought details of the forest and environment clearances granted to the mines and stocks being maintained by them. Sources said the team came across instances of excessive excavation at one of the mines in Sundergarh. At another mine, it inquired about the amount of iron ore raised by the lessee before 2006 and where it was sold.

However, team leader U.V. Singh, principal chief conservator of forests, Karnataka, refused to disclose details of the findings which would be included in the commission’s final report.

The state government in a bid to ensure transparency and better services has sought to facilitate sharing of information related to transportation of minerals between the steel and mines and the commercial taxes departments by integrating the IT systems providing e-services to all its beneficiaries.

The steel and mines department would now also require the mining lessees and mineral traders to obtain prescribed permits for mining and transportation.