Shah Commission to set up committee to verify mine boundaries in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Justice M B Shah Commission, investigation alleged illegal mining in Odisha, on Friday set up a committee for physical verification of the boundaries of mines."The committee will comprise seven members including a representative from the commission," Justice Shah told reporters on the third day of the hearing in Bhubaneswar.The committee would have members from the state government, IBM and a representative of the lessee whose area was to be verified.Earlier several lessees had objected to the differential geographical positioning system (DGPS) for boundary demarcation alleging that the state government was using Google maps for surveys which they claimed were inaccurate.Justice Shah has allowed physical verification by 24 mining companies.Meanwhile, Justice Shah's statement indicating existence of illegal mining in the state, has sent ripples in the Odisha administration with senior officers holding a close door meeting last night.The commission has detected that the state government allowed mining companies to go ahead without clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest.PTI