Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader K.V. Singhdeo had moved an adjournment motion in the assembly July 10, alleging that a private company had been mining manganese in the region.

Although Steel and Mines Minister Raghunath Mohanty described the allegation as baseless, the government a day later ordered the probe, after Singhdeo produced documentary evidences of the illegal mining.

Patnaik told IANS that a team of 20 to 25 officers, conducting the inquiry, had examined papers, gone to the offices of mining and forest departments and inspected the spots.

'We found evidence of illegal mining. The area where the mining was going on was not leased out to anybody. The local officials of the forest and mining department knew that the illegal mining was going on but they did not take any steps to stop it,' Patnaik said.