NGO bays for 3 ministers blood over illegal mining

National Committee for Protection of Natural Resources (NCPNR), an NGO waging a battle against illegal mining, today urged Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to drop three ministers from Bellary including Tourism Minister G Janardhana Reddy from the ministry as their involvement in illegal mining “has been proved”.

NCPNR President S R Hiremath alleged at a press conference here that Reddy brothers entered into raising contract with two mining firms in Ramgadh Area in Sandur taluk, which he said “highlights the fact that they were into illegal mining in Karnataka”.

Under the raising contract, a person is permitted to carry out mining activity on behalf of the mining lease holder.

He said “this fact” had also called into question the claims by Yeddyurappa that there was no illegal mining in the state and his government had taken steps to check it. The NCPNR also demanded action against some officials of the forest, mining and police departments who allegedly helped the Reddy brothers in carrying their mining activities.

Referring to the May 6 SC order setting up a team to conduct survey and demarcation of 99 iron ore mines in Bellary-Hospet forest region of the state to identify sites of alleged illegal mining, Hiremath said it was expected to meet in Delhi today to finalise its plans for carrying out the inspections.

A special forest bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia on May 6 had ordered forming of the joint team of representative of the Forest Department and the Mines and Geology Department of state government besides those of Karnataka Lokayukta and the court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC).

The team would conduct survey and demarcation of the leased mines in the presence of representatives of the mining firms and if any encroachment was found, the mining in the entire leased area would stop, the bench said.