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Cong MLA alleges sand mafia-govt staff collusion
Karnataka MLA Basavaraj Rayareddy alleges collusion between the sand mafia and officials, claiming ₹400 crore lost in illegal mining; sparks political controversy.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah’s economic advisor and Congress MLA Basavaraj Rayareddy has written to the chief minister alleging deep-rooted collusion between the state’s sand mafia and government officials, accusing them of enabling large-scale illegal mining and causing massive losses to the state exchequer.
In his letter, Rayareddy estimated that Karnataka may have lost over ₹400 crore in royalty revenue due to unchecked sand extraction.
“Corrupt officials and the sand mafia are hand in glove, looting the state’s natural resources. If we can efficiently collect income tax and GST, why not ensure royalty collection on sand?” he wrote.
The Yelburga MLA, a former housing minister, alleged that around a network of around 200 people were involved in smuggling sand and jellystones from areas roughly 85 kilometres from the Tungabhadra River. He also claimed that officials from the department of mines and geology were central to the operation, which sees an estimated 100 to 150 truckloads of sand transported illegally every day.
Rayareddy named several department officials, including senior geologist Pushpalatha and two others, Saneeth and Naveen Kumar, describing them as the alleged “masterminds” behind the racket.
He also sought disciplinary action and subsequenttransfer of at least ten officials who, he said, had remained in the same postings for over a decade, damaging the department’s credibility.
To curb the illegal trade, Rayareddy also urged the government to introduce a direct payment system meant to aid homeowners purchasing construction sand, which would allow royalty to be paid straight to the state treasury.
The CM’s economic advisor also proposed the creation of a district-level task force, headed by the deputy commissioner, to monitor sand mining and ensure accountability.
He said he plans to raise the issue with chief minister Siddaramaiah, deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar, urban development minister B S Suresh, mines and geology minister S S Mallikarjun, calling for a coordinated drive to dismantle the sand mafia across Karnataka.
Rayareddy’s letter sparked a political row, with Leader of Opposition in the assembly and BJP leader R Ashoka accusing the Congress government of protecting those involved and benefitting from the illegal trading racket.
In a post on the social media platform X uploaded on Tuesday, Ashoka wrote, “CM’s own advisor exposes ₹400 crore sand mafia scam! The truth can no longer be hidden.”
“This is not governance, this is organized loot,” he wrote, demanding to know “who the ministers and MLAs protecting this mafia are” and “where the ₹400 crore is going.”
Ashoka alleged that the nexus between officials and smugglers had grown stronger under the Congress government and called for immediate action.
Amid the ongoing controversy sparked by the letter, Rayareddy sought to downplay the contents of his own letter, calling it a “routine matter.”
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Tuesday, he said, “Sometimes sand miners go without permits... lot of newspapers had reported that. So, on that basis I wrote a letter. This is a routine matter.”
“There is no need to make such a big deal out of it,” he added, asserting that corruption was “much more when the BJP was in power” and that the current government was taking corrective measures.
He also denied that there was any corruption within the Congress administration, saying, “We are tackling corruption. We are taking measures.”
