KIOCL should pay for past violations, says Khandre

Karnataka minister for forests Eshwar Khandre told the Legislative Assembly on Friday that the government would consider granting Devadari forest land in Sandur, Ballari district, to the Kudremukh Iron Ore Company (KIOCL) for mining, provided it pays for its past violations in Kudremukh national park.

Responding to a question raised by BJP MLA Bharath Shetty during the 'calling attention' session, the minister said he would convene a meeting to address the issues while also noting that the matter is currently before the high court. The MLA had urged the government to save KIOCL, which employs around 1,000 people, and repeatedly requested the minister to hold a meeting to resolve the concerns.

"KIOCL sought permission to mine 401 hectares of forest land in Sandur in 2020 and applied through the Parivesh portal, which was later approved by the Central government. The company also applied for Stage 2 clearance and paid for compensatory afforestation and Net Present Value (NPV) charges before receiving final approval," he said.