Govt to 'document' mining in State: CM

“Our Government has maintained transparency in mining. It is the previous dispensations which allowed unbridled plundering of natural resources by issuing licences wantonly,” the chief minister said on Saturday. He was in the City to take part in various functions.

To a query on the Supreme Court indicting the State for laxity in curbing illegal mining, Yeddyurappa said the Government banned export of iron ore as soon as the Lokayukta exposed irregularities.

In a veiled attack on the Congress, he said: “Those who took out a ‘padayatra’ to Bellary (opposing illegal mining), challenged the ban on ore export in the court.”

Yeddyurappa said the State government would not waive of farm loans in future and the farmers too should not insist on it. Instead, the Government would extend all help to farmers to be self-reliant.

Diploma colleges have been opened across the State to help farmers’ children. A two-year diploma course for 1,000 students with a  pass in SSLC and another six-month training programme for 3,000 students will be introduced. Selected students will get a monthly stipend of Rs 1,000. The objective is to bring back the younger generation to farming and motivate them to apply scientific methods in agriculture.

Seed firms cautioned

Yeddyurappa said private seed companies should guarantee yield for the seeds they sell and criminal cases will be booked against erring companies. He said a team of 25 experts from Netherlands would visit the State on June 8 to share their expertise in agriculture. He appealed to the farmers not to sell their fertile land, but avail of the facilities under the integrated agriculture policy.