Refuting the charges levelled by N C Saxena Committee on Vedanta's mining project, the Orissa government on Tuesday said it worked in accordance with the directives of the Supreme Court.

"The state government has done nothing illegal for the proposed mining project," Orissa Steel and Mines minister Raghunath Mohanty told reporters here.

The state government's stand on the Saxena Committee's report was conveyed in a letter to secretary of union ministry of environment and forest (MoEF).

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik said his government would do whatever is "correct and appropriate" regarding the controversy cropped up after the report was submitted by the MoEF-appointed Saxena Committee.

Claiming that Orissa government did not violate law of the state land for the proposed mining project at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district, state forest and environment secretary U N Behera said, "The questions raised by Saxena Committee were earlier placed before the Empowered Committee and the Supreme Court through a PIL."

Considering the allegations, Behera pointed out that the apex court had directed the MoEF to constitute an expert committee to enquire into technical matters associated with them (allegations).

Accordingly, Dehradun-based Indian Institute of Wildlife studied on the impact of mining on the bio-diversity of Lanjigarh area and possible impact of exploration of minerals on wildlife and their habitats.

Similarly, Central Mining Planning and Design Institute also studied the possible impact of mining soil erosion, water level and other matters.

This apart, the Forest Advisory Committee in its meeting on August 30, 2006 had also elaborately discussed various issues during scrutiny of the proposed mining project, Behera pointed out in his letter to the secretary MoEF.

"Based on different studies, the MoEF had accorded stage-I clearance for the mining project," the official said, adding that the state government worked on the project as per the court decision.

Claiming that Saxena Committee's observations on the proposed mining project were "not true", the state government asked the Centre to give it a chance to place its stand on the dispute before the MoEF takes a final decision on the recommendations of the panel.

On Saxena Committee's allegation that the state government violated Forest Rights Act, 2006, Behera pointed out that the Supreme Court on November 23, 2007 had accorded conditional clearance to the mining project.

"The court finally gave forest clearance to the project, after its conditions were fulfilled," he said.