E-Paper
BSY to use illegal mining report to tame Reddys
A Supreme Court-appointed panel report about illegal mining in Karnataka may be damning for the state government, but chief minister BS Yeddyurappa has found a silver lining to contain dissidents, particularly the Reddy brothers. Their area of operation — Bellary — figures prominently in the report.
A Supreme Court-appointed panel report about illegal mining in Karnataka may be damning for the state government, but chief minister BS Yeddyurappa has found a silver lining to contain dissidents, particularly the Reddy brothers. Their area of operation — Bellary — figures prominently in the report.
BJP sources said BSY has indicated to the high command that he would like to order a crackdown on mining groups once the apex court takes a final call on April 21.
The interim report of the central empowered committee has estimated that 304.91 lakh metric tonnes of iron ore worth more than Rs15,000 crore was exported from 2003-04 to 2009-10 without valid permits.
BSY’s stand is that he became CM only in 2008; his predecessors had a greater role in not checking illegal mining. Also, he was prevented from acting against mining groups when the Reddy brothers — who are a part of his cabinet — triggered a rebellion.
BSY had to reverse transfer of several top officials out of Bellary. He was also compelled to drop Shobha Karandlaje, then minister for rural development, apart from transferring VP Baligar who was then principal secretary to the chief minister.
The Reddy brothers — Karunakaran and Janardhana — claim to operate from Andhra Pradesh but their business and political rivals have accused them of “using” Karnataka to ship out their ores.
BSY now wants to suspend the licences of several iron-ore mining firms that are reported to be involved in illegal mining on forestland in Bellary district.
“I’ve no special affinity for any illegal miners, If any of them have violated trade and mining norms, I shall not spare them and I will personally see that they will get their due punishment and penal action,” he said.
Unfazed by the possibility of fresh rebellion by the Reddy brothers, BSY also wants to order the transfer of a number of officials in the bureaucracy serving in departments linked to mining in Bellary.
“I’ve not given any licence for mining after we came to power. The licences were given during the Congress and JD-S rules while my government has taken steps to ban iron ore exports.”
