Reddy bros' mining ops illegal: SC panel

NEW DELHI: Karnataka's politically powerful Reddy brothers were on Friday red-flagged by the Supreme Court's environmental panel for indulging in illegal mining, which was permitted by the YSR government and with approval from the environment ministry in UPA-1 in the Andhra Pradesh portion of the Bellary reserve forest.

The Central Empowered Committee ( CEC) in its hard-hitting report to the Supreme Court recommended cancellation of all three mining leases given to the Reddys' owned Obulapuram Mining Corporation ( OMC), recovery of market value of illegally mined mineral since 2004 and demarcation of boundaries using satellite imagery.

"The sorry state of affairs (regarding illegal mining in Bellary reserve forest) could not have taken place without the active connivance of the concerned officers of the Andhra Pradesh government," the CEC said and recommended that all mining operation in the area should remain suspended till the AP-Karnataka boundary and the lease areas are demarcated. It also said: "The report regarding the mining leases in Karnataka and associated issues raised in the petition filed by Samaj Parivartan Samudai and others will be filed in due course of time."

Reacting to the report submitted by CEC, Karnataka tourism minister G Janardhana Reddy claimed that the CEC committee has been constituted mainly to look into the mining operations in reserve forest area and not to give recommendations. ''There are instances like NMDC where the SC has not taken CEC report into consideration. I have full faith in the judiciary and I will continue legal battle by filing objections,'' Reddy said.