Yeddyurappa meets Chidambaram on illegal mining issue

NEW DELHI - Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Saturday met Home Minister P. Chidambaram on the illegal mining issue.

Talking to reporters after meeting, he said the Home Minister has been completely briefed on the issue. e said that the Lokayukta will probe the illegal mining scam.

“If any of my cabinet ministers are proved guilty, I’ll remove them within 24 hours”, Yeddyurappa said.

Yeddyurappa conveyed to Home Minister that there was no need for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the alleged illegal mining in his State as the Lokayukta was already looking into it.

Yeddyurappa is likely to meet Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and some senior BJP leaders later in the day.

On Friday, Yeddyurappa met Karnataka Governor HR Bhardwaj and apprised him of the initiative taken by him over illegal mining in the State.

The Reddy brothers are facing allegations of illegal mining of iron ores by encroaching upon a large chunk of forestland in the area causing huge damage to the environment.

Earlier, the apex court had appointed a Survey of India (SoI) panel to conduct a detailed mapping of the three mines of the Reddy brothers. The SoI submitted its report, saying mining should not be allowed till a fresh demarcation of the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border is complete.

The Survey of India panel had given its nod to Reddy’s 68.5-hectare iron ore mine, asserting that there was no major encroachment. The panel said that of the 68.5 hectares, only 66 hectares could be mined.

The remaining 2.5 hectares were set aside for road construction. The panel found that the Reddys were mining in all 68.5 hectares. (ANI)