Have checked illegal mining: Karnataka
The Yeddyurappa government which is under attack from several quarters on the illegal mining issue, on Thursday took a tough stance in its affidavit filed in response to the Supreme Court appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) and the Lokayukta’s proposals for a blanket ban on all forms of illegal mining and export of iron ore.
In an eight-page affidavit filed by Karnataka Chief Secretary S.V. Ranganath before the forest bench, headed by Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia, the state government said: "We are committed to curb the menace of illegal mining and will take all necessary action including those recommended by the CEC."
The state government claimed that it had taken "stringent steps" to curb illegal mining, including the export of iron ore in order to conserve its natural resources as recommended by Karnataka Lokayukta, Justice N. Santosh Hegde. "There is an imperative need to ban the export of iron ore to make it available only for domestic value addition. The Lokayukta had also recommended complete ban on the export of iron ore," the affidavit said.
The green bench which includes Justices Aftab Alam and K.S. Radhakrishnan, besides the CJI, put off the hearing on the case to April 29. The chief secretary in his affidavit further stated that the state government had taken a decision to limit the extraction of iron ore only to meet the domestic demand in view of the CEC report that if the export continued at the present rate, then the state’s resources might dry up in next 20 years.
While urging the top court to pass an appropriate order by taking its affidavit into consideration, the chief secretary also explained Karnataka government’s position on the boundary dispute with Andhra Pradesh as per the recommendations of the CEC which had asked the two states to resolve the dispute to avoid any ambiguity in the matter.
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