Hyderabad, Oct 29 (IANS) Obulapuram Mining Co, owned by Karnataka Tourism Minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, Thursday said it has not received any notice on alleged illegal mining in Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh.
“We came to know through the media about the notice issued to the company,” said Obulapuram managing director B.V. Sreenivasa Reddy in a statement.

“We will respond once we receive the same (the notice). We are surprised that the officer concerned approached the media before the company was served a notice,” Sreenivasa Reddy said in the statement.

He was reacting to media reports that Anantapur district forest officer Kallol Biswas had issued a notice to Obulapuram seeking an explanation on how it had illegally excavated iron ore worth Rs.25 crore over the past two years.

Obulapuram promoter and Karnataka minister Janardhan Reddy is a business associate of Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, the son of the late Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

Obulapuram has been accused of having illegally excavated iron ore in areas beyond that allotted to it.

The issue has created political heat in the state on several occasions with the main opposition, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), alleging that the Congress government showed undue favour in extending mining lease to the company.