Govt staff go on mass OOD to duck investigation

As mine owners have begun to feel the pressure from the Lokayukta, the CBI and the Central Empowered Committee of the Supreme Court over illegal mining, officers who have been complicit, too have begun to face the heat.

The government has transferred en masse staff of the Mines and Geology Department office in Hospet under the guise of OOD (on other duty) to other districts.

The shifting has come on the heels of the transfer of the Superintendent of Police and Deputy Commissioner of the district.

Mines and Geology Deputy Director D Raju, who was posted at Hospet, has been transferred. Of the 32 staff at the Hospet office, 20 have been shifted to Chitradurga, Bangalore, Tumkur and other districts, transferring other staff in their place.

Sensitive files

The new staff, completely new to the work in the district, have been facing problems. They have been flabbergasted at the state of the office in Hospet, where sensitive files have been scattered haphazardly.

As most of the iron ore mines in Bellary district are concentrated in and around Hospet and Sandur, a separate office of the department is located in Hospet with a deputy Director’s office that looks after mines permits, inspection of ore-carrying lorries and other related issues.

But the staff were hurriedly shifted out a week before the CEC team was to visit Hospet and Sandur taluks for inspection on March 26 and 27, raising many eyebrows about the mysterious transfers involving so many officers.

Many in the know say that the transfers have come in the light of the CBI inquiry into illegal mining charge against minister Janardhana Reddy-owned OMC (Obulapuram Mining Company).

The rumour making the rounds is that the transfers were aimed at preventing the CBI and the CEC teams from getting information on illegal mining. Interestingly enough, the staff have been sent on OOD and not official transfer. None of them has got a transfer order.