Founder-president of Samaj Parivartana Samudaya S.R. Hiremath has blamed the State government, particularly the Cabinet Sub-Committee on illegal mining, for the decision of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to close illegal mining cases.
Addressing presspersons here on Thursday, Mr. Hiremath lambasted the State government, particularly Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj H.K. Patil, who headed the Cabinet Sub-Committee on illegal mining.
Mr. Hiremath said that the State government had utterly failed in implementing the report of the former Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde and holding mining firms accountable for the loss caused due to illegal mining.
“Proper implementation of the Lokayukta report would have held miners accountable for the biggest iron ore scam in the country. However, the State government failed to provide proper evidence to the CBI, which was investigating the case. Consequently, the CBI has been forced to close the case for lack of proper evidence,” Mr. Hiremath said.
Mr. Hiremath said that for want of evidence, the CBI has now closed the case pertaining to export of illegally mined iron ore to the tune of 3 crore tonnes worth ₹ 12,228 crore. This, Mr. Hiremath said, was despite having the very best documentation, including shipping details obtained from Customs data bank, done by Mr. Santosh Hegde and SIT headed by an upright officer U.V. Singh. Mr. Hiremath said that as a consequence of the closure of the case by the CBI, recovery of thousands of crores of rupees for illegally mined and exported iron ore by 72 B category mines will be hit and also the reclamation and rehabilitation works.
Terming it as betrayal of the trust of people of the State, Mr. Hiremath said that Mr. Siddaramaiah, who led a padayatra from Bengaluru to Ballari against illegal mining and who had promised action against it during the elections, had done nothing to keep his promise. Instead, his government was taking every step to protect the corrupt, he said.
Mr. Hiremath also called on the people of the State to reject the Congress for betraying them in the next Assembly election, just like they rejected the BJP in 2013. He said that the Jan Sangram Parishat would hold a two day contemplation session and also a special meeting in Raichur on November 4 and 5.
