Mining scam: Shah panel to visit Odisha again on October 31

Bhubaneswar: A team of the Justice MB Shah Commission of enquiry will visit Odisha again on October 31 to further investigate the alleged mining illegalities in the state, official sources said on Sunday. The state government has been informed that the team of the Commission led by senior bureaucrat UV Singh will arrive in Bhubaneswar on October 31 and stay in the state to conduct the investigation until November 11, a senior state steel and mines department official said.

Earlier the commission team had visited state on October 3 and examined files related to half of the state's over 142 mines during a nine-day stay in the capital city of Bhubaneswar. The Justice MB Shah Commission appointed by the central government in November 2010, has been investigating allegations of illegal mining in several mineral rich states.

An eight-member commission team had visited several mining areas of the state in December last year too. The commission, at that time, had said it found evidence of illegalities in the state which would not have been possible without the connivance of bureaucrats.

The team of the panel will stay in the state to conduct the investigation until November 11.

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