Vinay Kulkarni, Minister for Mines and Geology, has said that the government is planning to set up a protection force to preserve mineral resources.
He told presspersons at Muddebihal on Sunday that it would be on the lines of the erstwhile Karnataka Electricity Board having its own vigilance wing to check power theft.
Mr. Kulkarni said that 450 constables had been appointed in the force while other senior division-level police officials would be appointed soon.
“The force will help protect natural resources such as minerals from illegal extraction and transportation,” he said.
Mr. Kulkarni said that the government was formulating a new sand policy to curb inter-district and inter-State illegal transportation of sand. He said that sand transportation and sale was earlier handled by the Public Works Department. Now, it was under the Department of Mines and Geology.
On allegations about the involvement of some police officials in illegal sand transportation, the Minister said that action would be taken if his department received any proof. Mr. Kulkarni claimed that after the government began imposing heavy fine on people involved in illegal sand extraction, such cases had come down.
He said that agencies involved in illegal extraction of stone slabs in Minajagi village had been closed.
The government had received applications seeking permission for extracting stone slabs for making tiles. “ We will study those applications before giving them approval,” Mr. Kulkarni said.
To a question, he said that illegal sand extraction was not taking place at Kolhar village.
C. S. Nadagouda, Muddebihal MLA, was present.
