Karnataka - Bellary   

Tapal Ganesh reiterates charge

BELLARY: Mine owner Tapal Ganesh has released documents in support of his charge against Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC), owned by Ministers G. Janardhan Reddy, G. Karunakara Reddy and B. Sriramulu.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Mr. Ganesh claimed that OMC had not been given permission so far by the Directorate of Mines Safety to use heavy earthmoving machinery in 68.5 hectares of mines in Antar Gangamma Konda at Malapanagudi village in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh adjacent to Tumti in Sandur taluk and also for conducting deep-hole drilling and blasting. However, according to the Assistant Director of Mines and Geology, Anantapur, around 28 lakh tonnes of ore had been extracted and transported from this mine from 2007-08 to 2009-10, he said.

Releasing copies of documents obtained by him under the Right to Information Act from both the offices, Mr. Ganesh said the Directorate of Mines Safety granted permission to OMC to use heavy earthmoving machinery at another mine (having an extent of 39.48 hectares) in Obulapuram village on September 29, 2010. However, the ore dispatch details obtained from the Assistant Director of Mines and Geology, Anantapur, show that 6.3 lakh tonnes of ore had been dispatched from this mine from 2007-08 to 2009-10, Mr. Ganesh said.

He sought to know from Mr. Janardhan Reddy as to how the company extracted and dispatched around 28 lakh tonnes of ore from the mining area at Antar Gangamma Konda without necessary permission from the Director of Mines Safety. “The documents given by the two departments point out that illegal mining has been undertaken by OMC,” he said.

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