Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Apr 5: A team led by Mangalore Tahsildar, Ravichandra Nayak, raided several places in and around Yekkur village near Bajpe on Saturday April 3 and registered cases against 11 persons for illegal mining, in Bajpe police station.
The raids were conducted, based on complaints received by the tahsildar. Acting on a complaint filed by the tahsildar, Bajpe station house officer, Pramod, and other personnel, raided laterite mining quarries in Yekkar, Permude, Machchoor, Tenka Yedapadavu, Mooduperara etc., and found several of them to be illegal
Cases pertaining to the violation of various sections of law including those against damaging public property, violation of the Revenue Act etc., have been registered. The tahsildar had filed a report with the policemen two weeks ago, against Eswhar, Krishna and Gangadhar, after finding three laterite stone quarries being run by them to be illegal.
It is expected that more raids on these lines will be conducted soon. Reportedly, several dozens of illegal mines operate in Bajpe area, while only a couple of them have regular permission to conduct this activity. There are allegations that political rivalry between the BJP and the Congress has played a role in filing complaints against each other for illegal mining.