'Central agency should probe illegal mining'

The National Committee for Protection of Natural Resources (NCPNR), based out of Dharwad, has urged the Karnataka government to submit an affidavit in the Supreme Court giving consent for a court-monitored investigation from a Central agency into the involvement of political parties and higher officials who connived with mining mafia.

“We urge the government to give consent in the apex court for an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and effective action against the powerful people of all political parties and high officials who either connived with the mining mafia and showed their dereliction of duty by inaction or both,” S R Hiremath, founder of NCPNR told reporters, here on Tuesday. Jan Sangram Parishat (JSP), which is based in Raichur, has also joined NCPNR in the fight against illegal mining.

National Committee for Protection of Natural Resources and JSP have also urged both the government and Lokayukta Justice V Shivaraj Patil to implement the former Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde’s final report on illegal mining and deal firmly with those involved in the illegal mining.

“The government should recover all ill-gotten money back to the exchequer of Karnataka for the ecological restoration of the mine-ravaged lands in Bellary, Chitradurga and Tumkur districts. They also wanted the livelihoods of the local communities revived through rejuvenation of agriculture, animal husbandry and horticulture on the one hand and the health recovery of human beings, cattle and repair of roads, among others,” Hiremath said.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Lokayukta has registered as many as 361 complaints and disposed off 427 under Karnataka Lokayukta Act last month. As many as 123 complaints were sent to the competent authority for taking disciplinary action against public servants, Lokayukta press release said.

In 47 complaints, the grievances were redressed and 143 complaints were closed, while in 86, allegations levelled were not substantiated. Four complaints were withdrawn. Lokayukta also filed as many as 37 cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.

Of the 37 cases registered, one case related to amassing of wealth disproportionate to known sources of income. Further, 28 cases relate to demand and acceptance of illegal gratification and eight on possession of unaccounted money by government servants during discharge of their official duties, the release said.

In the current month, investigating officers had completed the investigation in 40 cases, the release added. Upalokayukta also informed that it held a review meeting of the enquiry and scrutiny officers on August 29.

During the meeting, Upalokayukta instructed enquiry and scrutiny officers to take action to dispose old complaints, enquiries and crime cases on priority basis, the release said. The Upalokayukta also proposed to prepare an action plan in this regard, it added.