HC gives Govt one week to act on illegal mining

Mangalore Today News

Bangalore, August 28 : Expressing displeasure over the government’s ’inordinate’ delay in curbing illegal mining and export of illegally mined ore, the Karnataka High Court on Saturday gave a week’s time to it to announce procedures to address the issue.

Regretting that no orders have been issued despite the state banning iron-ore exports a month ago, a Division Bench, headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar in a special sitting directed the government "to get its act together and put its procedures in place in a week".

When writ petitions by nine mining companies, seeking to quash the ban, came up for hearing, state Advocate General Ashok Harnahally said procedures were being put in place to curb illegal mining and theft of iron-ore and the Lokayukta probing the matter would submit its report in six months. On hearing this, Justice Khehar wanted to know how the government would vest everything in Lokayukta and "say you are not going to do anything about it. How can you just rely on a report and ask us to wait for six months?

"It is fine if he is doing his job, let him do it, you do yours. If Lokayukta,a retired supreme court judge can find out where all illegal mining and theft of iron-ore is taking place, to say that the entire police of Karnataka cannot find this out, is just not accepted. It is the will which is lacking." Khehar further said, "If somebody is in the wrong, stall him do not stall everybody. If theft of iron-ore has to be checked, it has to be done right where the mining takes place not when it loaded onto trucks."

Earlier counsel for five mining firms including Lakshminarayana Mining Co and Deccan Mining Syndicate, D L N Rao contended that the Centre alone could impose such a ban. After hearing the arguments, the bench adjourned hearing to September 3.


Illegal mining : Lokayukta may seek CBI’s assistance

The state government has rejected the opposition demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the mining scam in the state. But sleuths of the premier investigation agency are almost certain to have a role in the investigations as Lokayukta justice N Santosh Hegde on Friday stated that the services of the CBI could be required in the later stages of investigations.

Speaking to DNA later in the day, justice Hegde said that seeking the help of CBI would not be a problem.

Citing the response from the state government to his recent letter seeking permission to approach the state governments of Goa and Andhra Pradesh to unearth the quantum of iron ore exported from ports of these two states, he said, “The chief minister has given the approval and has even stated that I can seek help from any agency to get to the bottom of the scam which is estimated over Rs50,000 crore.”

“I have also seen media reports of the chief minister’s statement that he (Lokayukta) is free to seek even the help of CBI. So I have no hassles in taking the help of the CBI if needed,” he added.

But the question is does the Lokayukta need the CBI help and if yes, when will he seek it?

“At this preliminary stage of my investigations I don’t see the need for CBI help. But in the later stages I may need it. I will not hesitate to seek CBI help when I feel the need,” he said. The Congress had taken out a Bellary chalo march seeking a CBI probe into illegal mining scam.