Chennai | Corruption | Health | Jokes | Religion | Tamil | Tamil Nadu | Transport | Women

First report was submitted in Dec 2008. Ref# AD2289

27 July 2011. Report submited to the Chief Secretary, Mr S. V. Ranganath, later today.

The report has pegged the loss to the State exchequer due to illegal mining between March 2009 and April 2010 at more than Rs 1,800 crore.

Mr Hegde, a member of Lokpal bill drafting committee, declined to talk about contents of the report, which has indicted the Karnataka Chief Minister, Mr B.S. Yeddyurappa, four Cabinet Ministers, and former Chief Minister and JDS leader, Mr H.D. Kumaraswamy, among others, and more than 500 officials, particularly in mineral-rich Bellary district.

Asked if he would also submit the report to the Supreme Court, Mr Hegde said the apex court had not sought it. "If asked, I will have to give it, and I will give it. Otherwise, someone else may give it,” he said.

Last week, Mr Hegde had said the “Supreme Court is my only hope.” He said leakage of the report does not mean it has lost its “significance”. It’s just that somebody got it in advance. “It’s not (like) leak of question paper (in examination).”

Mr Hegde said he has mentioned in the report about “possible threat” to Lokayukta (five) officials who were involved in the enquiry. “And I have not said that there is already a threat“.

The brave respectable Judge

The bold Chief minister refused to accept..

The report mentioned that a mining company donated Rs 10 crore to a trust owned by Yeddyurappa's family members. Loss to the exchequer for period 2006-2010 was estimated at Rs 16,085 crore.

The loss to the state exchequer because of illegal mining for 14 months -- between March 2009 and April 2010 -- had been pegged at more than Rs 1,827 crore.

Besides, it has reportedly named more than 500 officials.

He had said earlier the report with annexures runs into 10,000 to 12,000 pages, with "his own report of 450 to 500 pages".

News Desk: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa, who is facing corruption and illegal land deal charges, has earlier announced to give land to the victorious Team India. He has now offered cash rewards to the team instead of land.

After Team India lifted the 2011 World Cup, Yeddyurappa had announced that all 15 members of Team India and Coach Gary Kirsten would be given a BDA site each. He has now taken back his promise.

BS Yeddyurappa on Thrusday announced that the World Cup winning Indian cricket team will now be awarded with a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh each instead of land.

In a bid to unearth information on 'benami' lands, the ruling BJP, which is facing the heat over alleged land scams, today said it would reward people who come forward with details on such properties.

Addressing a legislative party meeting, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said he is setting up a fund of Rs five crore in the budget for giving these cash rewards. The budget session is to be presented next month.

 

"According to me, benami lands in Bangalore are valued at Rs one lakh crore", Yeddyurappa said, adding, the government will confiscate such properties.

Advertisements would be put out in newspapers asking people to share information on 'benami' lands. The value of the reward would be proportionate to the value of the property that they helped in identifying and confiscate.

Indian's asset. Who looted?
Let the judgement come.

Under attack from the opposition seeking his exit over the Lokayukta report on the mining scam, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Tuesday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and P Chidambaram, former finance minister, should first quit over the telecom scam.

“Perhaps it’s the Prime Minister and Home Minister who should quit first after what (A) Raja (former Telecom Minister) directly disclosed,” the embattled chief minister told reporters. “They don’t have moral right to continue in office.”

The hills of Bellary have been mined since the 14th century. More recently, modern mining started here in the 1950s but it was the Olympics in China that turned it into boom-town. The massive orders from Beijing spawned a new wealth for those who operated from here. Those who didn't also moved in for the kill.

The largescale breach of central and state laws has funneled an environmental disaster. Hills that were once green have been reduced to red dustbowls. Forest areas meant to be off-limits have been steadily and blatantly encroached upon with no consequences.

1 Aug 2011: Six Truckloads of iron ore seized.
Range Forest Officer, Mahesh Patel, seized the ore consignment and the lorries. Cases were registered against the six lorry drivers on January 18.

Patel told Deccan Herald on Thursday that the services of the police had been utilised during the operation to nab the culprits and seize the consignment on January 17.  

While there is already an ore checkpost on the outskirts of Vithalapura, a temporary mineral checkpost has been opened at Dibbaladinni. 

The accused usually take the consignment through Lingadahalli, Metrakki, Rajapura, Gangalapura and Dibbaladinni to Veerhalu and Malapanagudi in Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh, the people allege. 

They say that the latest case lends credence to what Lokayukta Santosh Hegde has been saying all along on ore being illegally transported from the Bellary region to Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, though there is a ban on export of ore.

31 July 2011: 8000 tonnes of iron ore seized in Bellary.
Less than 24 hours after seizing 49 lorries transporting iron ore from BMC, a firm with which the Reddy brothers are said to be closely associated, the district authorities on Sunday seized 7,448 tonnes of iron ore being transported in two rakes (each rake comprises 58 wagons) in violation of the July 29 Supreme Court order suspending mining and transportation of iron ore from Bellary district.
In addition, the authorities seized 1,000 tonnes of ore unloaded at the JSW Steel Ltd. premises that was transported by road from Mysore Minerals Ltd. with which JSW Steel Ltd. has entered into a joint venture.