DC warns tahsildars against inaction

Officers directed to file criminal case against unlicensed sand miners

Criminal cases should be booked against persons involved in sand mining without licence. If failed, affidavit will be submitted against the tahsildar, warned Deputy Commissioner D S Vishwanath.

He was speaking at a meeting of District Sand Monitoring Committee, conducted at his office on Wednesday.

“It was decided in a meeting last month that filing criminal case against the persons involved in sand filtering is the only way to check illegal sand mining.

Though officers were given directed in this regard, even before public interest litigation was filed in the High Court, no action was taken. Such negligence has brought the district a bad name,” he said expressing disappointment.

“No action on illegal sand mining makes us form an opinion that even tahsildar is involved in it. If action is not taken immediately, an affidavit will be filed to the government,” the DC warned.

He took Mulbagal tahsildar Nanjaiah, Kolar tahsildar Venkateshmurthy, Malur Tahsildar Hanumantharaya, senior scientist at Mines and Geology Department Sampath Krishna and Public Works Department Engineer T Venkatachalaiah to task.

He said that the attitude of not taking any action against illegal works before and filing case after assault, is not right.

Deccan Herald carried reports on the rampant sand mining in Mulbagal taluk on October 9 and October 14.

‘Letter to CM’

A letter will be written to the Chief Minister to take action against Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Srihari Baragur alleged of assaulting a brick kiln worker, said Union Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa.

Speaking to mediapersons at the Inspection Bungalow on Wednesday, he defended protests staged by the Congress and JD(S) demanding action against the DySP. “Unabated illegal sand mining in the district has been brought to the notice of the CM. The district administration should join hands to stop this menace.”

Meanwhile he also said that innocents persons should not be punished.

Reacting to rumours that District In-charge Minister Varthur Prakash would join the Congress, Muniyappa said, “We do not need him and we will not take him into Congress. This rumour is baseless.”

On the water crisis, he said that a letter has been written to the Chief Minister to supply fodder sufficient for the next nine months and to form action plan to tackle water problems.