NGO to protest mining mafia, officials' nexus

The National Committee for Protection of Natural Resources (NCPNR) and other organisations, which have launched a campaign against the dereliction of duty by officials and their ‘alleged’ involvement with the mining mafia, will stage a one-day satyagraha in Hospet on June 7. They will protest in front of the office of the deputy director of mines and geology, D Raju, in Hospet.

Founder president of NCPNR S R Hiremath, president of Samaj Parivartana Samudaya (SPS) G K Kadekodi and G N Arkachari of Action Committee for Protection of Natural Resources (Karnataka) told reporters here on Monday, the protest was aimed at sensitising people to the on the nexus between the corrupt politicians and corrupt officials which had resulted in illegal mining and indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources.

Hiremath said that as per the documents available to the organisation, Reddy brothers, through total abuse of their official position as ministers and the power of ill-gotten wealth had looted nearly 2.7 million tonnes of iron ore with the help of corrupt officials in the state and Andhra Pradesh.

Kadekodi said that despite being in government service, some of the officials in key position were acting at the behest of Reddy brothers and have failed to check the illegal mining.

Hiremath said NCPNR team, along with local activists had visited Ramagadh in Sondur area on May 12, and found that illegal mining activities were being carried out with impunity. “Such is the extent of the illegal mining there that even a temple and a graveyard are facing threat of being demolished by the mining mafia,” said I G Pulli of Grama Ganarajya Vedike, who was part of the team.

Hiremath said the organisations will write letters to the President and Prime Minister, Central Vigilance Commission with supporting documents on the illegal mining.

The organisations will also continue the efforts to sensitise the public against illegal mining.