Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Oct 10: With reference to the scandal in which some people have been accused of causing loss running into crores of rupees to the state government by illegally selling natural mine resources of Karnataka, red bauxite, one has been arrested. The city police are searching for the main accused who has absconded.
More than 30 vehicles comprising lorries, three backhoes, five excavators and others, which were found at the mining area were impounded. The contractors had shifted their bases to Karnataka from Kerala after Kerala government banned transportation of red bauxite to other states. The contractors who are from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, have transported thousands of tonnes of red bauxite to Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh from here. This material is used by cement and aluminium industries, it is said.
Police raided the illegal mining area on Sep 30
Srinivas from Tamil Nadu is said to be the mastermind of this business. He is said to be holding fake permit of Kerala government, and on that basis, dug red bauxite from Karnataka and transported thousands of tonnes of the material to Andhra Pradesh. As per the rules of the mines department, 5 percent of the sale price of the bauxite has to be remitted to the government. As fake permit of Kerala was used, no royalty was paid to Karnataka government, and as per an estimate, the state has lost over five crore rupees in this way.
A detailed probe alone can bring out the enormity of the scandal. During the raid of the mine area, Mangaluru assistant commissioner Madan Mohan, officials of mines and geology department and the city police, arrested Aravind Kumar, an employee of the mining firm. Main accused Srinivas, is absconding.