Bhubaneswar, Nov 30 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has agreed to probe the multi-crore Orissa mining scam. The agency filed an affidavit to this effect in the Orissa High Court Monday.
“We have said in the affidavit that the CBI is ready to probe the mining scam,” said Suryakanta Padhi, counsel for the CBI. The probe agency filed the affidavit after the high court sought to know whether it was ready to probe the alleged scam.

Opposition parties haver made a vociferous demand that the CBI should probe the scam, and PILs were filed in the high court to press the demand.

However, the CBI has put a pre-condition that the basic infrastructure should be provided by the state government.

“We are ready to probe the mining scam provided the state government provides us the basic infrastructure to conduct the probe,” Padhi added.

The state government last month set up a task force headed by the chief secretary to check illegal mining.

Orissa’s vigilance department is already probing the alleged multi-crore mining scam in the state.