Govt forms cabinet subcommittee to probe 'mining scam’
Karnataka forms a six-member cabinet subcommittee led by HK Patil to probe illegal mining; report expected within a month.
PTI
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Bengaluru, 5 July
The State
government on Saturday constituted a six-member cabinet subcommittee headed by
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil to probe the illegal mining issue
and recommend appropriate actions.
The subcommittee
has been asked to submit its report within a month.
It comprises Home
Minister G Parameshwara, Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa, Social
Welfare Minister HC Mahadevappa, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre, and Mines
& Geology Minister SS Mallikarjun.
The State cabinet,
headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, had decided to form the subcommittee
during its meeting on 2 July.
"A cabinet
subcommittee has been constituted to discuss and make appropriate
recommendations on steps to be taken regarding irregularities in mining,
particularly the appointment of a Recovery Commissioner and the establishment
of a fast-track court for the speedy disposal of cases," an official note
said.
The decision came
after Patil wrote to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, expressing concern over the
government's "inaction in pursuing illegal mining cases to their logical
conclusion", ensuring that the culprits are punished, and recovering the
state’s lost wealth.
In his seven-page
letter, Patil pointed out that only 7.6 per cent of the cases related to
illegal mining, which allegedly occurred between 2007 and 2011 and caused an
estimated loss of Rs 1.5 lakh crore to the State exchequer, have been
investigated thus far.
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