BANGALORE: The Opposition in the Legislative Council ended their dharna on Friday following an assurance held out by Leader of the House D.H. Shankaramurthy that the U.B. Singh Committee report on illegal mining in Bellary district and Kanakapura taluk would be presented in the House "as soon as possible."

On Thursday, Leader of the Opposition H.K. Patil had led the Congress members in the dharna during Question Hour, saying the Government was deliberately withholding the report from the House though it has already been tabled in the Lower House with a list of 78 persons involved in illegal mining.

As soon as the House assembled on Friday, Mr. Shankaramurthy appealed to the Opposition members to end the dharna and promised that the report would be placed in the House as soon as it became available.

Mr. Patil said the Government should not be saying it could not get the report, since it was just a matter of directing officials to furnish copies. Mr. Shankaramurthy said it was only a partial report, and since the question specifically sought the status of illegal mining in the entire State, it was prudent to wait for all the information.

Mr Patil said, "Even if it is an interim report, or incomplete, it can be shared with the members. This delay is only creating doubts about the Government's intentions."

However, after Mr. Shankaramurthy assured him that there was no intention to hide any information from the House or deny it to members, Mr Patil said the dharna would be called off so that the House could go on with the business listed on the agenda for the day.

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