Panaji, Feb 1 (IANS) Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) national secretary Jitendra Deshprabhu has been issued notice for allegedly running an illegal mining outfit in the state, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat told the state assembly Tuesday.

Kamat, also the state's minister for mines, was replying to a query from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Mandrem Laxmikant Parsenkar.

"Jitendra Deshprabhu is indulging in illegal mining activity in survey number 299/0 of Korgao village of Pernem taluka (sub district)," said Kamat, who has himself been accused of sheltering illegal mining in the state.

Kamat said: "After hearing the submissions made by him, a demand was raised towards value of the minerals." He added that since Deshprabhu had not paid up the value of the mined mineral, the local revenue official had been instructed to conduct recovery proceedings against the senior NCP leader.

Deshprabhu has already been fined Rs.1.72 crore by the state mining department.

According to mining department's records, the NCP leader has illegally extracted nearly 50,000 tonnes of iron ore.