Odisha chief secretary BK Patnaik today appeared before the Supreme Court along with state steel and mines secretary Rajesh Verma and Aditya Prasad Padhee, principal secretary to Chief Minister, for contempt of court in a matter related to granting of iron ore mines to Bhushan Power & Steel Ltd (BPSL).

The SC has asked the state government to file its reply in three weeks. The court in March had allowed the appeal of Bhushan Power & Steel and directed the state government to act according to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two parties, signed on May 15, 2002.