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Lokayukta's report on illegal mining: Main points

Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, four ministers, former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and 787 officials should be tried for graft, state lokayutka (ombudsman) N Santosh Hegde recommended on Wednesday.

Updated on: Jul 27, 2011 09:13 PM IST
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Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, four ministers, former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and 787 officials should be tried for graft, state lokayutka (ombudsman) N Santosh Hegde recommended on Wednesday.

HT Image
HT Image

All those named in the 25,228-page report should be tried under various laws like the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Forest Act, said Hegde, whose term as lokayukta ends Aug 2.

He recommended cancelling of licenses of mining firms found involved in illegal mining and transactions and also recovery of four times the value of the loss caused by them to the state exchequer.

The following are the main points of his report, which says between 2006 and 2010 illegal mining has caused the state a loss of Rs 16,085 crore.

** Try Yeddyurappa for graft because a trust run by his sons received Rs 10 crore donation from an iron ore mining firm that was financially not in a sound position. The sons also sold one acre land near Bangalore, whose market value was Rs.1 crore, for Rs 20 crore to a mining firm - the two incidents clearly establishing graft.

** Their associate and health minister B Sriramulu also involved and should be tried.

** Yeddyurappa loyalist and housing minister V Somanna's wife involved in illegal mining business.

** Former chief minister and Janata Dal-Secular state president HD Kumaraswamy granted two mining leases, flouting rules. Should be prosecuted.

** Congress Rajya Sabha member and mining baron Anil Lad's wife involved in illegal mining. To be tried.

** BJP legislator B Nagendra also involved. To be tried.

** Total number of officials to be tried - 787.

** Number of companies named in the report - over 100.

** Files perused - 400,000

** Entries examined - 50 lakh (five million).

** Illegalities found - mining in larger areas than permitted; exporting with fake documents; overloading of trucks; encroachment of forest areas.

** Separate chapter on the situation in iron-ore rich district of Bellary, about 300 km from Bangalore. Bellary is the Reddy brothers' stronghold.

** Interim report on illegal mining given in Dec 18, 2008. No action from the government except filing cases against 55 firms.

 
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