Karna orders Lokayukta probe into illegal export of iron ore

Facing flak from opposition Congress on the mining issue, the Karnataka government on Monday ordered a probe by Lokayukta into illegal export of minerals, including iron ore, from 2000 till date.

A notification issued by the State Industries and Commerce Department said the inquiry into the illegal mining and whether minerals were exported in excess quantities over the permits issued will cover the period from January 1, 2000 to July 19, 2010.

Sources in Chief Minister's secretariat said the letter seeking the probe was delivered to the Lokayukta office on Monday.

In a tactical move, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who has been under opposition fire for "protecting" the Reddy brothers, decided to enlarge the scope of the probe already ordered soon after a belligerent Congress announced "Bellary Chalo" padayatra programme from July 25.

The Congress besides insisting on a CBI investigation has been demanding that the three ministers of Bellary – G Janardhana Reddy, G Karunakara Reddy and B Sreeramulu, facing charges of illegal mining, be dropped from the ministry.

The order seeking inquiry into illegal exports also comes a day after Yeddyurappa gave a clean chit to his Bellary ministerial colleagues denying their involvement in the mining scam and declaring that they are "101 per cent honest".

The remark, however, was dubbed as "too premature" by none other than Lokayukta Santosh Hegde, the Ombudsman, who would be probing the charges.

"It is too premature to give a clean chit to Reddy brothers as the Lokayukta probe on the matter is still on", Hegde said.

By ordering the Lokayukta probe, the government has once again rejected the persistent demand of Congress and JD-S for a CBI probe. The state government had last week amended the Lokayukta Act arming the Ombudsman with more powers under which the institution can seek the help of any investigation agency to assist it.

Earlier, stepping up pressure on the Yeddyurappa government, Congress announced it would undertake padayatra from Bangalore to the mine-rich Bellary from July 25 culminating in a rally on August 9, coinciding with the "Quit India Movement" day.

Janata Dal-Secular state unit president H D Kumaraswamy, whose party intended to join hands with Congress in their stir against Reddy brothers but was not invited to join the 'Bellary Chalo' padayatra, said his party would decide its own agitation plan.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President R V Deshpande, Opposition Congress leader in assembly Siddaramaiah and Kumaraswamy flayed Yeddyurappa for giving clean chit to Reddy brothers saying, "The chief minister admits to the existence of illegal mining, but also gives clean chit to Reddys to save his chair."

Unfazed by the mounting criticism against them, Tourism Minister G Janardhana Reddy rejected the charges and declared he would resign as minister if there was a shred of evidence against him that he engaged in illegal mining.

He said BJP proposed to hold a rally in Bellary on August 20 to counter the Congress stir and released a list of some Congress leaders, whom he alleged were engaged in illegal mining.