By IANS,
Bangalore : Karnataka’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday charged the Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) with encouraging illegal iron ore and granite mining in the state.
The Congress and JD-S “have actively and patiently encouraged the mining mafia and have given a fillip to illegal mining with active collusion of corrupt officers,” the BJP said in booklet it released here.
The booklet said JD-S leader H.D. Kumaraswamy, who was chief minister in the JDS-BJP coalition government in 2006-07, recommended the highest number of 47 iron ore leases during his 20 months in office.
“Of the 47 recommendations, 22 were made in the last 15 days of his rule. This was after the BJP withdrew its support to the government. Does one need any further examples of illegality and immorality?”
The booklet was released to the media by D.B. Chandre Gowda, the BJP Lok Sabha member from Bangalore North constituency.
Referring to the recent Supreme Court order for suspension 19 iron ore mining leases in Karnataka, the booklet said all these “pertain to the periods of previous Congress and JD-S governments and not even a single recommendation for mining lease during the present BJP government”.
The Supreme Court has also ordered inspection of 99 mining leases to find out if any illegal mining had taken place outside the leased area. “Not even one of them was granted by the BJP government,” the booklet said.
It pointed out that Congress Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh (2004-06) had allowed movement of iron ore dumped illegally on private lands by issuing dispatch permits.
This was allowed despite officials opposing it as it was against the law, the booklet said.
It noted that the Karnataka Lokayukta (ombudsman) had held Dharam Singh’s action unlawful and recommended recovery of Rs.23.22 crore from him due to loss caused to the government.