Minister Murugesh Nirani dismisses charges of illegal quarrying around KRS dam
Bengaluru, Jul 11: Karnataka Mining and Geology Minister Murugesh Nirani on Sunday dismissed the allegation that illegal quarrying was continuing near Krishnaraja Sagar dam in Mandya district.
"There has been absolutely no illegal quarrying activity within the 15-km radius of KRS dam," he said in a statement.
His reaction came as the war of words over illegal quarrying around the dam intensified between Mandya independent MP Sumalatha Ambareesh and former chief minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy.
The Minister said he had earlier visited the spot after receiving reports of illegal mining, convened a meeting with officials, including Mandya Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police, MP and local MLA following complaints.
"The government has issued 38 mining leases in the 15-km radius of KRS dam and it was decided in the meeting to cancel all the leases for violating rules and operating without clearance from the ecological department," Nirani said.
Our senior officials had conducted a joint survey two days ago and denied illegal quarrying was going on in the past three months with documentary evidence," he said
Reacting to Sumalathas repeated charges that illegal quarrying was going on, he said officials had conducted a survey and submitted a report, with video and documentary evidence, which said no such activity was going on.
The Minister said if Sumalatha could produce any documents related to illegal mining, then the government will take action.
Nirani requested Kumaraswamy and Sumalatha to end the spat and said such mudslinging by politicians would spoil the atmosphere in the region and discourage investors from making investments, thereby affecting unemployed youth.
On Sunday, Sumalatha once again vowed to intensify her agitation, saying she has waged a war on illegal mining in and around the KRS Dam.
She also appealed to her supporters to tread on the path shown by her actor-turned-politician husband late Ambareesh.
Sumalatha alleged that the safety of the KRS dam is at stake due to the illegal mining around its area.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Gangolli Police arrest couple in house robbery case within seven hours
Gangolli: In an operation, the Gangolli police arrested a couple accused of a house robbery within seven hours of the incident.
The accused, identified as Vinayak (41) and his wife Pramila (30) from Gujjadi, were taken into custody following a coordinated investigation by the police team.
The robbery took place on the morning of January 21 when a bag containing jewelry was stolen from a house near Trasi Beach. Among the stolen items were a 16-gram gold necklace, a 16-gram bangle, and three gold rings weighing 3 grams, with the total value of the jewelry estimated at Rs 2 lakh. The culprits fled the scene on a scooty.
Following the registration of the case at the Gangolli police station, SSI Harish R. and a team comprising officers Shantaram, Raju, Nagaraj, Raghavendra, Sandeep Kurani, Maruti Nayak, and Dinesh swiftly gathered intelligence and tracked down the suspects by 8 p.m. on the same day. The stolen gold ornaments and the vehicle used in the crime have been recovered.
The accused were presented before the court, and further legal proceedings are underway.
