SC empowered panel to submit Bellary mining report tomorrow

The CEC team headed by P V Jayakrishnan, which had visited Bellary district to inspect illegal mining, is likely to submit its reports to Forest Bench of the Apex Court headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia in batches beginning Saturday. However the CEC will continue its investigation for the second set of reports.

Karnataka Chief Secretary S V Ranganath, Forest and Environment Principal Secretary Kaushik Mukherjee and other officials here on Wednesday submitted details including steps taken by the state government in connection with the Lokayukta report on illegal mining to the CEC.

The CEC is investigating into illegal mining in the district following the SC direction in a writ petition filed by S R Hiremath of the  Samudaya Parivartan Samaj as well as another petitioner Vishnu Kamath .

Making fresh submission before the CEC, the petitioners sought action against Ranganath, Mines Secretary Ramaprasad, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Indu Srivatsava, Additional PCCF (vigilance) B Basappa, Mines and Geology Director Shivalingamurthy and others on charges of dereliction of duty.