Cong seeks to turn heat on Karnataka Govt on mining scam

The opposition Congress in Karnataka today sought to turn the heat on the Government on the illegal mining scam, charging it with inaction on the Lokayukta report that uncovered huge losses to the exchequer.

Making preliminary submission seeking to move an adjournment motion in the Assembly, Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah alleged that the Government was not serious at all to punish the guilty and recover the losses from those who indulged in illegal mining.
"There seems to be no urgency on the part of the Government to take action. To protect some people, the Government is adopting delaying tactics", he charged.

Siddaramaiah sought to highlight that the then Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde submitted interim report on illegal mining in December 2008 and the second and final one in July last year.

He noted that the Lokayukta report had put the loss to the state exchequer because of illegal mining between 2006-07 and 2010-11 at Rs 16,085 crore.
Hegde himself had stated that the Government has not taken concrete action on the first report and, in fact, illegal mining activities had increased after its submission, he said.

"Influential ministers are involved (in illegal mining activities)", he said, adding, B S Yeddyurappa had to resign from the post of Chief Minister following the Lokayukta report, while the former Minister G Janardhana Reddy is in a Hyderabad jail.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S Suresh Kumar argued that the matter cannot be taken up as adjournment motion as it's not of recent occurrence but agreed for a discussion under a different rule, following which Speaker K G Bopaiah gave the ruling to that effect.