Illegal mining row: Parliament adjourned till noon

NEW DELHI - Both houses of Parliament were adjourned till noon on Wednesday following an uproar over the illegal mining issue in Karnataka.

As soon the house met for the day, Bahujan Samaj Party members trooped into the Well waving placards demanding the dismissal of the BJP-led government in Karnataka.

As the uproar continued, Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the proceedings till noon.n the Rajya Sabha, BSP members also demanded the dismissal of BJP-led government in Karnataka on the same issue.

As the din continued, Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the house till noon.

The Reddy brothers are facing allegations of illegal mining of iron ore by encroaching upon a large chunk of forestland 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 owned by 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)