Following a second explosion in a stone quarry in the state in less than a month, Opposition parties lashed out at the B S Yediyurappa administration, questioning the lack of action against illegal quarries.
Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah demanded that Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa immediately release a list of all the illegal quarries in the state.
“It is believed that Karnataka has more than 2,000 unauthorised crushers and quarries. The CM should immediately release a list of such quarries. He has to ensure that all these quarries are shut. There is a direct link between illegal quarrying in the state and that in Andhra Pradesh. Right from Vidhana Soudha to district-level officials, everyone is involved,” Siddaramaiah, who took stock of the situation at the blast site at Hirenagaveli in Chikkaballapur district, charged.
He questioned Chikkaballapur district in-charge minister K Sudhakar as to how he was unaware of what was transpiring in his region. He further demanded for an inquiry by a High Court judge, besides suspension of all the district officials involved in this.
Alleging government apathy, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) D K Shivakumar charged that the government remained lax in spite of last month’s Shivamogga blast. “The government has to act against those involved in illegal quarrying. How many more lives does this government want before it acts?”
Meanwhile, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy lashed out at the state government and said Tuesday’s incident only showed government’s negligence. “If the government had any commitment, it would have sorted this out. Instead of giving statements to the media, the government should ensure action against the guilty. Elected representatives are also involved in illegal quarrying. In many instances, officials buckled under political pressure to give licenses,” he said.
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