Reddys into illegal mining, cancel license: court panel
January 7th, 2011 - 8:54 pm ICT by IANS
Bangalore/New Delhi, Jan 7 (IANS) A Supreme Court appointed panel has recommended axing mining license to the Reddy brothers, mining barons and ministers in Karnataka’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, as they have been found to be into illegal mining.”Exemplary compensation” should be paid by them for their illegal mining besides having their licenses cancelled, the Centrally Empowered Committee (CEC) has said in its report to the apex court in New Delhi Friday.
The Reddys — Tourism Minister G. Janardhana Reddy and elder brother and Revenue Minister G. Karunakara Reddy — own Obulapuram Mining Co, which owns mines in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
The Reddys are accused of illegal mining not only in Andhra Pradesh but also in Karnataka’s iron ore rich Bellary district, their political base.
Bellary, about 300 km from Bangalore, borders Andhra Pradesh.
The Reddys are alleged to have erased boundary marks between the two states in the process of their illegal mining.
Reacting to the panel’s findings and recommendation, Janardhana Reddy told reporters in Bangalore: “It is a motivated report and we will contest it.”
The apex court has given the Reddys and two other mine owners in Karnataka, whose license cancellation has been recommended, 15 days to respond.
“We will file the objection within the given time,” Janardhana Reddy said.
Seizing on the panel’s report, the Congress Friday demanded the immediate resignation of the Reddys.
“The chief minister has been saying that illegal mining allegations against the Reddys were false. Now a Supreme Court appointed committee has found that it is true and recommended license cancellation,” state Congress president G. Parameshwara said in Bangalore.
Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa declined to comment. “I do not know and I do not want to comment,” he said.
Yeddyurappa has uneasy ties with the Reddy brothers, who had rebelled and almost brought his government down in November 2009.
Karnataka Governor H.R. Bhardwaj has also been demanding that Yeddyurappa take action against the Reddys for their alleged illegal mining.
The Reddys, who were small businessmen, have become billionaires after entering into mining 10 years ago.
- Elder Reddy tells CBI no links with mining - Sep 17, 2011
- Mining baron Janardhana Reddy arrested, jailed - Sep 05, 2011
- Mining baron Janardhana Reddy finally under arrest (News Analysis) - Sep 05, 2011
- CBI raids mining firms for second day in Bellary - Oct 04, 2011
- Reddys empire: mines in Andhra, politics in Karnataka - Sep 05, 2011
- Judicial custody of illegal mining case accused extended - Jan 25, 2012
- CBI to quiz Reddy brothers over illegal mining - Sep 15, 2011
- CBI raids Reddy associates' residences - Sep 11, 2011
- Congress guns for Yeddyurappa, BJP hits back - Jul 21, 2011
- Yeddyurappa blames Congress, JD-S for illegal mining - Apr 16, 2011
- Apex court asks CBI to probe Karnataka illegal mining - Sep 23, 2011
- Reddys' rise: Riding cycles to rattling BJP leadership - May 31, 2011
- BJP takes first step to discipline defiant Reddy brothers - Nov 25, 2011
- CBI files case against Reddy firm, conducts raids - Oct 03, 2011
- Reddy returns to Bangalore after six months, as an accused (Second Lead) - Mar 02, 2012
Tags: andhra pradesh, apex, apex court, barons, bellary, bharatiya janata party, bjp government, cec, chief minister, congress president, elder brother, iron ore, jan 7, license cancellation, New Delhi, reddys, revenue minister, state congress, tourism minister, two states