Bangalore : The Central Empowered Committee appointed by the Supreme Court has recommended cancellation of mining lease to firms owned by Karnataka Ministers G. Janardhan Reddy and G. Karunakar Reddy, considering their Obulapuram Mining Company to break various environmental laws in mining operations.
The committee also criticized Andhra Pradesh government officials for their involvement in breaking the violations.
The high-powered panel, after submitting its report to the Supreme Court on Friday, recommended cancellation of the lease to four different mines spread over 140 acres on grounds among large scale illegal mining in Bellary reserve forest area.
Other reasons stated by the committee for the cancellation of mining lease are illegal extension of the lease by officials and illegal mining done three times more done in approved area.
The committee also recommended suspension of all transportation activities from the four mines of the Reddy brothers till formal determination of the inter-State boundary between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in Bellary reserve forest area and setting up of permanent boundary pillars.
The committee also found that a mining lease, executed by the Department of Mines of Andhra Pradesh government in favour of OMC is of 39.5 hectare and it diverged materially from forest area for which the Forest Conservation Act has given the approval originally.
The mineral extracted from these mines was transported under the appearance of mineral extracted from other mines, which is different to that area. According to the CEC these violations could not have happened without the help of Andhra Pradesh government officials.
Before concluding the report, he said that, this mistake would not have taken place without the active connivance of the concerned officers of the State government.