During the visit the commission will hear views of both state government and mines owners, they said adding that the final report on the alleged illegal mining is likely to be submitted after this two-day crucial tour.
"Justice Shah and other members of the commission will visit the state on February 22 and February 23," director of mines Deepak Mohanty told reporters here today. He said the commission this time have no programme of field visit.
Mohanty said the state government during its meeting with the commission on January 12 in Ahmedabad had requested Justice Shah to give a hearing to it before finalising the report. Justice Shah had earlier visited the state in December 2011 when the commission began its probe into the alleged illegal mining activities in Odisha.
Besides, the commission's team headed by additional PCCF, Karnataka, U V Singh had visited the state twice in October and November, 2012. Apart from inspecting certain iron ore and manganese mines in Joda and Koida circles in Keonjhar and Sundergarh districts respectively, the team verified documents of about 145 mines.
Meanwhile, several mines owners had approached the commission to give them a hearing before finalisation of the report. East Zone Miners' Association (EZMA) and Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI) had expressed fear that the Commission report will be one-sided as their views had not been taken into consideration.
Mines owners also was of view that they have not committed any mistake by undertaking excess mining as they have paid the royalty to the government.
