Mining dust now sullies BS Yeddyurappa, Sushma Swaraj

The mining dust touched chief minister BS Yeddyurappa on Tuesday with Congress leader VS Ugrappa accusing his family’s involvement in the disappearance of five lakh tonnes of iron ore from Belekeri port.

Ugrappa added that Yeddyurappa was reluctant to order a CBI probe as he feared it would expose his family members.

In response to tourism minister G Janardhana Reddy’s list of Congress leaders allegedly involved in illegal mining, Congress leaders Ugrappa and MLC KC Kondaiah released a list of 10 companies owned by the Reddy brothers and said they were registered in the names of Somashekar, Swastick Nagaraj and K Mahesh, who, Ugrappa alleged, were the Reddys’ brokers and that material was going to the steel mills unofficially.

There was enough evidence to prove the Reddy brothers’ involvement in illegal mining, they said, listing the companies as Sainath Roadlines, Integral Minerals, Integral Logistics Company Private Limited, Ganga Agencies, Mahesh Minerals, Kruthika Roadlines, Sophia Minerals, Tirumala Minerals, Manjunath Minerals, and Eswar Minerals.

“Illegal mining is one of the biggest scams in the world, involving Rs60,000 crore. The chief minister also admitted that 3.4 crore tonnes of iron ore was illegally exported since 2003.

When this was exposed in 2007, justice UL Bhat had suggested a CBI probe. Even now, the Lokayukta is ready to take CBI help,” Kondaiah said.

He added the Lokayukta was a fact-finding agency with no prosecution powers. “Under section 12 of the Lokayukta Act, the government can reject its probe report. Since this case has international dimensions, only a CBI inquiry can nail the Reddys,” the Congress leaders said, adding that senior BJP leaders like Sushma Swaraj were also involved in illegal mining.

Kondaiah said that on November 1, 2009, the Ananthapur divisional forest officer had stated that Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) had transported minerals from outside the leased area, on the Andhra Pradesh-Karnataka border. 

The Congress leaders added that while over 22 mining companies in Ananthapur refused to share their produce with the Reddys, nearly 40 small companies in Bellary district had signed a sharing formula of 30% to 80% with the mining barons.

“This is sheer extortion as the small companies cannot counter the mighty Reddys who are promoting illegal mining in Karnataka,” Ugrappa said, adding, “Many miners are not being issued permits, as officials of the mines and geology and forest departments have their chosen few.”