HC watching,BSY govt cracks down on illegal mining

BJP govt has over the past few weeks received several jolts as the higher judiciary has moved into a pro-active mode under new Chief Justice.

The BJP government in Karnataka,which enjoyed a comfortable relationship with the judiciary in recent times,has over the past few weeks received several jolts as the higher judiciary has moved into a pro-active mode under new Chief Justice J S Khehar. And the effect of judicial activism in putting government administration on track is most visible in the vexed issue of illegal iron ore mining in the Bellary region.

A government that seemed to freeze when it came to controlling illegal iron ore mining in the state for the last two years is now engaged in a flurry of activity on the ground raids,seizures,new check posts,new tolls even as the High Court examines a ban imposed by the state on export of iron ore.

Emboldened by High Courts intervention,Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has drawn up the courage to introduce measures to regulate mining that he had baulked at a few months ago,from fear of upsetting the BJPs Bellary leaders and mining businessmen the Reddy brothers.

The government has now begun collecting a toll of Rs 500 for all trucks plying with iron ore in the state a measure that had partly contributed to a Bellary uprising against Yeddyurappa in November last year and almost cost him the CMs chair.

The flurry of government activity to control illegal mining began after the Karnataka High Court questioned its will to control illegal mining on August 28 while addressing a series of petitions by mining companies against a blanket ban on exports imposed by the state on July 26.

One hell of a lot of iron ore is the subject matter of theft. To say the entire policing service cant find this out is very difficult to understand, Chief Justice Khehar had observed on August 28.

Soon after,the state government announced seizures of 3087 metric tonnes of illegal iron ore on the Bellary-Anantapur Road and 30,790 metric tonnes of ore in Hospet,Bellary. It also announced raids on iron ore stockyards at several places in Bellary.

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Under pressure from the court to show control on illegal mining,the government also convened a meeting of all senior officials of the forest,mining,revenue,transport,commercial taxes department and the Bellary district in-charge minister G Janardhan Reddy.

The government has since also told the High Court that it wants to re-cast a set of rules framed in 2008,but not implemented to date,to give mining authorities powers on the lines of the police to seize,raid,inspect and punish people suspected to be involved in illegal mining.

Despite all the apparent action to curb illegal mining,the district administration in Bellary,considered crucial to control mining,still however remains unchanged.

Another area where the BJP government has received a rap from the HC recently has been over the recruitment of over 300 staff members to a new government medical college without following prescribed norms. A single judge of the High Court has asked the government how state Medical Education Minister Ramachandra Gowda can continue in office after allowing illegal appointments.

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How can he continue in office when the government has found fault with appointments made while he was chairman of the committee of appointment? Doesnt he have any responsibility? Justice Ram Mohan Reddy asked this week. The High Courts observations are in all probability expected to result in the exit of the minister in a re-shuffle scheduled after September 17.