The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged that the Congress government has succumbed to the pressure by the mining lobby of Ballari by scrapping the ‘conservation reserve’ tag given to the Kappatagudda forest in Gadag district.
The government’s action was aimed at serving the interests of Ramgad Minerals and Mining Ltd. owned by the Baldota family, and a wind power generating company, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Jagadish Shettar alleged on Tuesday.
The government had on December 19, 2015, declared 17,872 hectares of the forest area as a ‘conservation reserve’, but reversed the decision recently. Mr. Shettar alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H.K. Patil, who is also district in-charge Minister of Gadag, were directly involved in it.
Mr. Siddaramaiah, who had taken a padayatra from Bengaluru to Ballari opposing the illegal mining by the Reddy brothers, was now promoting mining in the reserve forest areas of Kappatagudda, the former Chief Minister alleged.
The forest is spread over 401.811 hectares in Gadag taluk, 15,433.673 hectares in Mundargi taluk, and 2,016 hectares in Shirahatti taluk. Seers of more than 15 religious institutions from North Karnataka region led by Siddhalinga Swami of Tontadarya Mutt have demanded that the government withdraw the notification.
