He said in the Assembly on Tuesday that the report had charged 99 licencees with encroachment. The government had booked cases against 56 licence holders of whom 27 moved court against the government. The court had allowed 23 of them to continue mining.
Yeddyurappa was replying to a question raised by Congress member A Manju on action taken by the Government on action taken on the Lokayukta report.
The CM said the Government had seized illegal hoarding of ore in 61 stockyards and had issued notices to 65 contractors who were into illegal hoarding. In addition, the government had seized iron ore illegally extracted in Chitradurga. The same fetched Rs 57.45 crore to the Government when auctioned.
“All these measures were taken by the Government in consequence to the Lokayukta report”, he added.
To a question on the number of mining permits issued in the last three years, Yeddyurappa said that not a single permit was issued after he came to power, a statement he has repeated many times outside the Assembly.
The CM said that there were 177 licencee in the State of whom 103 were operating. In the last three years, 20 licences were issued.
Replying to another question, he said his government was for encouraging steel industries to come up in the State. “We welcome investments in this sector.
Permission will be given as per rules and there would be transparency”, he added.
The CM also furnished a list of names of 136 mining companies spread over Bellary, Bijapur, Chitradurga, Shimoga, Chikmagalur, Tumkur, Bagalkot and Dakshina Kannada districts.
