The Hindu : Karnataka News : 20 crack squads deployed to check illegal mining in State

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Karnataka

Karnataka

20 crack squads deployed to check illegal mining in State

Special Correspondent

The squads comprise personnel from several government departments

13 joint squads will keep a 24-hour vigil in
eight districts
Special squads comprise personnel from departments of Mines and Geology and Forests

B.S. Yeddyurappa

BANGALORE: Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa on Tuesday said 20 squads have been deployed in different districts to crackdown on illegal mining of iron ore and exports from the State.

He rejected the Congress allegations that illegal mining was continuing unabated in Bellary district owing to the Government's soft attitude towards the Bellary brothers.

The Chief Minister, who chaired a high-level meeting to review steps taken to check illegal mining in the State, told presspersons that 13 joint squads have been activated. They would be keep a 24-hour vigil. Five squads are located in Karwar, two in Hospet and one each in Mangalore, Chitradurga, Bijapur, Bellary, Gadag and Hassan. The squad comprises officials from the departments of Forest, Police, Transport, Commercial taxes, Public works and Revenue, he said.

Seven special squads drawn from personnel of the departments of Mines and Geology and Forest have been pressed into service to check the menace. Six close-circuit televisions (CCTVs) have been installed at a check-post located on the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border and it has helped control the illegal transportation of iron ore, he said.

Minister for Tourism and Infrastructure G. Janardhan Reddy, Minister for Home V.S. Acharya, Chief Secretary S.V. Ranganath and Advocate-General Ashok Haranahalli and officials of other departments attended the meting.

Stating that the Government was determined to check illegal mining in the State, Mr. Yeddyurappa said licences granted to 58 private yards storing iron ore has been cancelled. Of the 58, 39 are located in Bellary district, 10 in Koppal, five in Chitradurga, two in Tumkur and one each in Gadag and Bagalkot districts. He said illegally stored iron ore had been seized at different places for the past one month.

A total of 75,000 tonnes of iron ore had been seized at Siddapura in Sandur taluk, 3,787 tonnes at a place on Ananthpur Road in Bellary city, and 30,790 tonnes at Jambunathahalli in Hospet taluk, he said.

Raid

About 200 workers of a firm involved in illegal mining fled from the spot following a raid by officials in Bellary district. Two tractors of the firm had been sized, he said.

The State Government had recently announced a ban on exports of iron ore from 10 minor ports in the State but the Opposition Congress and the Lokayukta had said nothing had changed on the ground as illegal mining was still on.

Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah has alleged that iron ore mined in the State was being shipped out from ports in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Appeal to Centre

The Chief Minister said he would appeal again to the Centre to totally ban the export of iron ore. Several companies have expressed their interest to set up industries to provide value addition to the local iron ore, he said.

Mr. Yeddyuappa said Mr. Haranahalli would brief the Karnataka Lokayukta on the steps taken by the Government to check illegal mining.

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