With no let up in communal violence in the BJD-BJP ruled Orissa, the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) announced a visit to the trouble-torn state to assess the relief and rehabilitation work being done there.

This will be the fourth team of the Commission to visit Orissa in the last ten months. "The Commission is sending a two-member delegation comprising of the NCM Vice Chairman Michael P Pinto and member Harcharan Singh Josh to Orissa next week to assess the relief and rehabilitation work being done by the state government," NCM Chairman Md Shafi Qureshi said on Thursday.

"The Commission is more interested in seeing that the rehabilitation and resettlement of the violence affected Christian minority members is carried out properly. Most of the victims are still living in forests minus any medical facility and proper shelter," Qureshi said.

"The state government has made a relief package. But we don't know what is being done. Hence the visit is proposed," he added.

The Commission also plans to carry out a public hearing in violence-hit areas of the state next month.

"We will be going for a public hearing there as the situation warrants it. We are deeply concerned with violence continuing in the state. Incidents of fresh violence are being reported now from districts other than Kandhamal in Orissa, which warrant serious attention," said NCM Vice Chairman Michael P Pinto.

Earlier a four member team of NCM led by its Chairman Md Shafi Qureshi briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh regarding its findings on Orissa violence on Wednesday.

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