CM should hand over mining scam probe to CBI: Hiremath

Hiremath has alleged that politicians and officials accused of indulging in the mining scam in Karnataka are moving about freely

Mounting pressure on chief minister Siddramaiah, founder president of NGO National Committee for Protection of Natural Resources (NCPNR) S R Hiremath said, the chief minister was dilly-dallying over the issue of handing over the probe into the mining scam to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Speaking to reporters in Dharwad on Monday, Hiremath called for a decisive and prompt action from CM Siddaramaiah on the issue.

He said, he was not satisfied with the action initiated by the Congress government in the state regarding the probe into the mining scam during the last four months.

"It needs no more than four weeks to complete the necessary formalities in handing over the investigation to the CBI. What is lacking is a strong political will," Hiremath said.

He added he was not sure why Siddaramaiah, who had launched an agitation against the illegal mining during his tenure as the leader of Opposition was hesitating to order probe by the CBI now when he is in power to do so.

Hiremath recalled that the then chief minister of Andhra Pradesh K Rosaiah had initiated action against mining scam in AP in 2009 and his action had led to the CBI probe into the affairs of Janardhan Reddy-owned Obalapuram Mining Company (OMC).

But for the firm and decisive action taken by Rosaiah, it would not have been possible to unearth the enormity of the mining scam, Hiremath observed, and reminded that Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah show a similar commitment in the larger public interest.

The NCPNR chief complained that politicians and officials accused of indulging in the scam were moving about freely.

"IPS officer Seemath Kumar Singh who is accused of assisting the Reddy brothers when he was the SP of Bellary has been promoted as DIG," Hiremath said.

The high level committee appointed by the state government had even given a clean chit to IAS officers S N Jayaram and Jawaid Akhtar, who were the former deputy commissioners of Bellary and allegedly colluded with the Reddy brothers in the mining scam.

Similarly, the politicians like Somashekhar Reddy, D K Shivakumar and others too are moving about freely.

"Is it the kind of action that Siddaramaiah promised to initiate while campaigning for this election?" Hiremath asked.