A two-member team of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), appointed by the Supreme Court, arrived here on Mondy on a two-day visit to the State to review the status of operational mines.
The team, comprising secretary NK Jiwarika and Madan Mohan Vyas and other members of the committee, will undertake independent assessment of the status of mining activities in the State. It will examine the statutory clearances of various mining leases operating in the State.
The State Government will provide information relating to the mining activities in 186 iron and manganese mines, based on which the CEC will prepare its final report and submit it to the Supreme Court, which is hearing a case on the illegal mining in the State and will pronounce its final verdict on the scam.
According to official sources, the team on the first day of its visit discussed the status of mines with senior State Government officials here. On Tuesday, the team will have a meeting with the mining leaseholders.
It may be recalled that the Supreme Court had ordered temporary closure of 26 mainstream mines in Odisha on the grounds of nonrenewal of leases following the recommendation of the CEC that about 40 mines in the State were operating under the provision of “deemed renewed” leases well after the expiry of their lease periods
Meanwhile, eight of the mines have resumed operations after the Government renewed their lease agreements.