The Congress, which made illegal mining a major election issue in 2013, is now facing allegations of allowing it to continue under its rule in Karnataka.
JD(S) State president H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday alleged that the Congress government had allowed rampant illegal mining activities, with more than ₹5,450 crore worth iron ore being “illegally lifted and transported”. This, he added, was being done by companies which are lessees of the State-owned Mysore Minerals Ltd. (MML) between 2014 and 2017 in Subbarayanahalli and Timmappanagudi areas of Sandur in Ballari.
Addressing presspersons here on Saturday, Mr. Kumaraswamy said an internal enquiry by senior officials of the Department of Mines and Geology had revealed that 60,56,440 tonnes of ore had been lifted and sold by MML, as against the permitted 30 lakh tonnes.
Alleging that MML officials had swindled money by tampering the records of the production register book, he said officials had shown records of less quantity of ore being mined, whereas the quantum of ore excavated was much higher. “Although contractors had single permits, they made multiple trips and transported ore illegally,” he said.
Pointing fingers at a senior bureaucrat, Mr. Kumaraswamy alleged: “Such rampant illegalities cannot be carried out without the blessings of the higher officials.”
“The illegal mining activities carried out by the Congress government are worse than those in the previous BJP regime. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is more intelligent, so he knows how to escape, unlike former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, who was caught red-handed,” he said. Asserting that Mr. Siddaramaiah was “in the know” of the illegalities, Mr. Kumaraswamy demanded a fair probe.
