JOIN USUgrappa’s claims came during a press conference to retaliate against the allegations made by Tourism Minister G Janardhana Reddy that Congress and JD(S) leaders were involved in illegal mining at Bellary.
Giving a handout to mediapersons, Ugrappa said Reddy’s Obulapuram Mining Company is “neck-deep in illegal mining and transportation”.
The Congress leader added that the Chief Minister has the mining, forest and finance portfolio and without his knowledge nothing can be smuggled out. He said he would reveal the names of the people involved at the right time.
Taking on the Reddy brothers, he said all the government records indicate that illegal mining has been going on in the forest regions of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and added that the Obulapuram Mining Company had destroyed the demarcation for boundaries for their convenience.
Ugrappa said Janardhana Reddy’s uncle, Parameshwar Reddy has stake in firms like Sainath Roadlines, Integral Logistics Company Private Limited, Ganga Agencies, Mahesh Minerals and Kruthik Roadlines belonging to Somashekhar; Sophia Minerals and Tirumala Minerals belonging to Swasthik Nagaraj and Manjunatha Minerals and Ishwar Minerals belonging to Mahesh. He said many businesses were taking place anonymously.
He said the government records show that his income could not exceed more than Rs 1,000 to 2,000 crore. “If the Reddys are not into illegal mining how come they could accumulate Rs 50,000 crore,” asked Ugrappa.
To support his claim he said the Reddy brothers would be investing Rs 36,000 crore in Karnataka and Rs 22,000 crores in Andhra Pradesh.
Ugrappa said the party is determined to make the ‘Bellary Chalo’ (March to Bellary) movement a grand success, which starts from July 25 to August 9.