Bangalore, August 9 2013: Congress leaders V S Ugrappa and K C Kondaiah on Friday demanded that the State government order a CBI probe into the illegal mining issue based on the findings of the Karnataka Lokayukta.
Addressing a joint press conference here, the two leaders said the State Congress had in 2010 taken out a padayatra to Bellary, considered the epicentre of illegal mining, protesting against illegal mining and demanded a CBI probe into it. Now, the party has come to power. The party government should implement all the demands made then, including that of ordering a CBI investigation, they added.
The final report of the Lokayukta on illegal mining was submitted to the government in July 2011. The previous BJP government did not take any action on it. “The new government should immediately accept the report, direct officials to file civil and criminal cases against those who are named in the report and order a CBI probe,” Ugrappa stated.
The CBI is already conducting investigations in three different cases pertaining to the illegal mining issue. The federal investigating agency should be allowed to probe the findings of the Lokayukta. It will ensure early recovery of resources plundered by the mining mafia. Besides, the issue has inter-state ramifications. Hence, it is in the interest of the State to hand over the issue to the CBI, he added.
Kondaiah said the new government will be shortly completing 100 days in office. But nothing much has been done to fulfll the promises made by the party with respect to illegal mining.
“We demand that all those involved in the issue should be punished. Otherwise, efforts made by the party in taking out the padayatra on the issue will go waste,” he stated.
Ugrappa also said he has drawn Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s attention in this regard and that he assured him of action.
