Karkala;Jan 17 : While speaking in the press meet convened by Xavier D’Mello,Karkala taluk panchayat member and congress samiti member in Karkala Hotel Prakash, he alleged that there are 189 laterite stone quarries and rock mining quarries across the taluk.Though period of licences of almost all the quarries have already been expired, revenue department, geological and forest department including entire district administration by supporting illegal mining, made government’s exchequer to lose millions of rupees, he said.
He also produced the list of the mining quarries and names of some crusher companies with evidences, who are operating without proper licenses.
He further alleged that though most of the crushers in the taluk are coming from Deemed forest region, forest department even without bothering to conduct survey, has issued a licences.Besides even geological department has joined their hands. In the taluk in the past, from 2002 to 2008, government has given permission for crushers to operate. In 2011, permission was given for 10 companies on lease.
But Karkala taluk’s Sooda and Nandalike villages around 10 crusher companies were operating in Deemed forest illegally, revenue department, forest department or environment department have not taken any steps to seize it. In 2010, July 30, high court has given an order to district commissioner to take action against illegal crusher operators without any hesitation. But district commissioner, without following the order, directly extending its support to illegal mining activities, he said.
He also alleged that in Sooda,Kalya and Nandalike without obtaining any department’s license mining activities are being carried out and thereby cheating the government in millions of rupees, he alleged.Nandalike,Kalya and Sooda village’s Survey No.116,233,233/1p,31/p2,233/1p1, a man called Gowrish Rai without any government’s license conducting his stone mining activities in Deemed forest region and supplying stone to Navayuga Construction company everyday around 2500 tons of gravels and for this, he is not making any royalty money to the government, alleged D’Mello along with proofs.
Besides mining is prohibited in Deemed forest limit, by violating that order geological department’s authorities are supporting illegal activities of Gowrish Rai.He also accused district commissioner for signing the documents blindly even without reviewing the documents properly and thereby supporting illegal mining activities in the taluk,he said.
He also said that a complaint will be lodged in high court against all the illegal crushers, revenue department, forest department, geological department and district administration and fierce protest will be staged against the people, who deceive government.
Avlene Luois, vice president of district block congress, taluk panchayat member Sujit Kumar Shetty were present in the press meet.
