Mining - IFS officer to probe Obulapuram row

BY SHIVAKUMAR G. MALAGI
BELLARY

The Union min istry of environment and forests (MoEF) has deputed a senior IFS officer to probe alleged violations of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 by Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC), owned by tourism minister and mining baron G Janardhan Reddy.
OMC, charged with encroachment in the Bellary Reserve Forest (BRF) area on the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border, will be investigated for violating the Forest Act in connivance with forest officials.
According to documents made available to Deccan Chronicle, MoEF conservator of forests (central) Y.K.S. Chauhan has been deputed to inspect the site where mining leases have been granted in Halkundi Honnali village blocks in Andhra Pradesh on January 29 and 30 following a com plaint from the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI), New Delhi.
FIMI secretary general R.K. Sharma, in a letter to the MoEF director-general of forests, dated September 17, 2008, complained of violation of the Forest Act by OMC in connivance with the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Anantapur.
Mr Sharma stated that Anantapur DFO Kallol Biswas had colluded with OMC to allow the company to encroach on government forest land of 10 hectares.
Bellary Iron Ores (Pvt) Ltd, in a letter dated September 11, 2008, complained to the director-general of forests that after “illegally occupying the 10 hectares of forest land, OMC has also encroached upon our land and evicted our workmen at gun point with the help of the local DFO and his staff”.
When contacted, Mr Janardhan Reddy refuted the charges, saying, “Let them (the MoEF team) probe the charges. The allegations are absolutely baseless.”

Coracle owners worried lot at Hampi

BY SHIVAKUMAR G MALAGI
HAMPI

We would have been left jobless if the bridge was completed ‘ and opened to trafficCoracle operators, who have for generations ferried people across the river Tungabhadra from Hampi to Anegundi are hoping the hanging bridge that collapsed here recently, will never be built as it could snatch away their only source of livelihood.
Nine families have been in the coracle trade at Anegundi for decades. Even the present generation has taken to the family trade of running the country boats, which are often used by the authorities to save people who may have fallen into the river.
The coracles which charge Rs 5 a passenger, are in demand as it takes less than 10 minutes to cross the river by boat while it would take over 45 minutes to reach Anegundi from Hampi by road. Even two-wheelers prefer to pay the Rs 10 they are charged to cross the river than go by road which would take them longer. Foreign tourists enjoy taking the ferry boat rides to islands like Virupapuragadde and Nava Vrundavana on the river.
“We have been ferrying people from Hampi to Anegundi for generations. We would have been left jobless if the bridge was completed and opened to traffic. We were worried about our livelihood and cursed the bridge everyday. Now, at last, Godess Ganga has heard our prayers and come to our rescue.” says coracle operator Honnurappa.
Members of the Harigolu Haisuvara Ambigara Sangha, the coracle operators’ union in Anegundi want the government to give up construction of the bridge.
“We mourn the labourers who died building it, but the bridge would have been bad both for us and the Hampi monuments. The government should introduce coracle rides for tourists coming to Hampi and Anegundi, besides appointing us as lifeguards on the river. This will help conserve these two ancient sites,” say the sang ha members.
The 226 meter long bridge was being built at a cost of Rs 11.48 crore, when a section of it collapsed recently, killing the labourers and putting its future in question.
The government had received Unesco permission to construct the bridge after much persuasion as the UN agency was concerned that it could mar the appeal of ancient Hampi.
Even as recently as two months ago, a Unesco representative and director of South-East Asian Nations in New Delhi, Minja Yang had warned state government about the deteriorating condition of the bridge.
He had suggested the government build only a footbridge downstream instead of the permanent concrete structure it was planning.

Bridge collapse - Tragedy at Hampi, 7 drown

BY SHIVAKUMAR G. MALAGI
HAMPI, JAN 22, 2009
Seven labourers died and at least 20 workers are missing after a suspension bridge across Tungabhadra river collapsed here on Thursday, bringing huge pillars, deck slabs and masonry crashing into the river.
Eyewitness Honnurappa, who operates a river ferry, said the 226-meter-long suspension bridge caved in at around 2 pm, soon after a team of 40 labourers resumed work after a break for lunch. Nine were injured in the mishap and were rushed to a nearby hospital.
Being built at a cost of Rs 11.48 crore, it is meant to connect the two ancient her itage sites of Anegundi in Koppal district where the famed king Krishna Devaraya was born, and Hampi in Bellary, where the Devaraya kings built the Vijayanagara kingdom. Both are Unesco heritage sites.
Anxious relatives and villagers began hunting for the missing workers, at least 10 of whom were skilled labourers from Orissa while the others were from Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring villages.
Honnurappa told Deccan Chronicle: “First, the pillars on the Hampi side collapsed, and then all the deck slabs started falling, this led to the central portion of the bridge on the Anegundi side caving in. This is where the labourers were working.” Villagers in Anegundi have identified three bodies fished out from the Tungabhadra river after a bridge collapse may have killed as as many as 20 people. The three bodies, fished out by distraught relatives were named as Dharmanna, 40, Bhemanna, 35 and Bharat, 25. Four bodies remain unidentified. Casualty figures could cross 20 as ferry operators said that with the river’s depth as deep as 300 ft. But senior police officers of both Bellary and Koppal districts maintain otherwise. “ Only two or three labours died and around five labourers are missing.” Seemanthkumar Singh, Superintendent of Police Bellary said that efforts are on to search for the missing labourers day and night and fish nets will be laid at certain points in river to fish out dead bodies.
“We can not give the exact number of casualties at this point of time. We will rope in the services of expert swimmers from Karwar Navy,” he said. Koppal MP K. Veerupakshappa pinned responsibility on “negligent” PWD engineers in monitoring the construction work. “I find the work by the construction agency sub-standard and want the government to blacklist the concerned contractor.” Health minister B. Sriramulu who visited the spot said Chief minister B. S. Yeddyurappa will conduct the spot inspection on Friday. “I will take the reports from the deputy commissioners’ and chief engineers of both districts and also rope in the services of the quality control experts to asses the work standard.

Suspension bridge over perilous waters

BY SHIVAKUMAR G. MALAGI
BELLARY

Following the demand of the people of Anegundi in Koppal district and Hampi-Kamalapur in Bellary district, the Veerappa Moily government decided to construct a bridge linking the two ancient sites; capital of Vijayanagar empire — Hampi to its cradle city — Anegundi across the river Tungabhadra.
When the work on the bridge was nearing completion in 2000, the UNESCO had threatened to remove Hampi from the world heritage site list if the government did not stop construction near the historic site. The UNESCO raised objections on the grounds that the location was not right for it and that the modern design would be an ‘eyesore’ to the world heritage site.
The UNESCO had also said that the completion of the bridge would result in the movement of heavy vehicular traffic, which could be detrimental to the ancient monuments at Hampi.
The threat to the historic monuments due to the construction of the bridge has caused a furore in the academic circles forcing the government to suspend construction.
Subsequently, government had decided to go ahead with the construction following the recommendations of the representative of the UNESCO, Kammier, who visited Hampi and took stock of the situation there.
Kammier, in his recommendation to the government, had suggested construction of a bypass around the historic Talavarghatta Gateway to prevent the movement of traffic through the gateway, which would damage the remnants of the protected monument.
UNESCO, in 2002, had given conditional clearance to the state government to go ahead with the construction of the NABARDassisted cable-stayed bridge, fifth of its kind in the country.
Cabinet meeting held in Gulbarga on September 26, 2008 had approved tender of Rs 6.60 crore for constructing remaining 24M length of bridge, which is about of total 226 meters (160 meters cable-stayed and 66 meters deck slab).
“Earlier, Rs 4.85 crore was spent on this project and the recent cabinet meeting held in Gulbarga approved tender of Rs 6.60 crore for the remaining work work, besides revising the estimate cost of the complete project upto Rs 11.48 crore”, said R.K. Mathad, junior engineer of PWD, Gangavati. Since a month, construction of the balance work was in full swing.
On Jan 16, Jayaram Raje Urs, secretary, department of Kannada and culture, said at a conference on “tangible and intangible heritage of Hampi’ at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) in Bengaluru that the government will redesign the hanging bridge at Hampi so as to protect the heritage monuments and temples. Before the proposed redesigning work commenced, the entire bridge is collapsed.

JD(S) tries to woo Kurubas

By Shivakumar G Malagi

Former prime min ister H.D. Deve Gowda has received an enthusiastic response to his bid to disprove the anti-Kuruba propaganda being carried out by Ahinda leaders against the Janata Dal(S) with around 3 lakh people turning up for the party’s backward classes convention here on Saturday. Koppal is considered a stronghold of the Kuruba community.

The convention was organised by the JD(S) to gear up its cadre following speculation that former deputy chief minister Siddaramaiah — an Ahinda leader and an archrival of the Gowda family — is likely to contest the coming Lok Sabha election from Koppal constituency on a Congress or BJP ticket.

But Mr Gowda firmly stated in his speech that the convention was not mean to build an alternative to the Ahinda movement. “The Ahinda movement is centered around one man (hinting at Siddaramaiah). But, this convention is meant to rejuvenate the JD(S) cadre and keep the party away from caste-politics that has corrupted the political environment in the state,” he explained.

He also announced more backward class conventions before the Parliament elections in Siddaramaiah’s home town, Mysore and the border city of Belgaum.

Taking over from Mr Gowda, former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy continued his tirade against Siddaramaiah saying, “The JD(S) enabled a leader from the backward class to table the state budget for seven years but is now being projected as anti-Kuruba. This same leader is using the Ahinda movement to gain political mileage. I request you to teach them a befitting lesson.” Siddaramaiah had served as finance minister when he was in the JD(S).

Hitting out at tourism minister G. Janardhan Reddy who is expected to contest from Koppal as a BJP candidate, Mr Kumaraswamy called upon people to revolt against the Bellary mining lords for equating democracy with money-power.

Referring to Mr Reddy’s comment on the JD (S) convention, he said, “The Bellary mining lords have described people attending this convention as meanminded. This shows how arrogant they are when it comes to the cause of the downtrodden. It’s time for people of this region to revolt against the mining lords and teach them a lesson in the parliament elections.


Koppal Convention Resolutions

JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda has called upon all the political parties to include the Koppal Backward Classes' Convention resolutions in their election manifesto in the coming elections to Parliament and thereby, prove their commitment for the total uplift of the backward classes'.



Resolution-1
Political reservation accorded to backward classes and women in the rural and urban local bodies under the Karnataka Panchayat Raj (amended) Act 1995 in Karnataka state must be implemented in all the states under the Union Government of India.



Resolution-2


Reservation accorded to backward classes, women and religious minorities in education and employment during H D Deve Gowda-led government in 1995 in Karnataka must be implemented in the all the states and Union Government should bring in necessary amendments to the Constitution in this regard.

BJP Reddy to conduct Yagnam for Congress Dr YSR ?

By Shivakumar G Malagi / Jan 4-2009

Tourism and infrastructure minister and mining baron Janardhan Reddy's balance sheet in this fiscal year end is likely to have Rs 1 core expenditure exclusively on Yagnams!Sources close to Bellary Reddy brothers confirmed that BJP minister Janardhan Reddy is holding 18-days Sahasra Chandi Yagnam praying for the victory of Andhra Pradesh CM Dr Y S Rajashekhara Reddy in Assembly elections at the tentatively estimated cost of Rs 70 lakh in March.Before this major ritual, Reddy's wife, Lakshmi is also learnt to perform a Kathyani Vrtham at Bellary on February 9 at a cost of Rs 40 for the success her husband in Brahmini Steels project in Andhra and political growth in Karnataka.Deccan Chronicle, Hyderabad edition's report on Saturday that Karnataka's BJP minister and mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy gets 108 priests from East and West Godavari districts in AP to conduct 18-days Yagnam for the victory of the Andhra CM Dr Y S Rajashekhar Reddy shook the BJPs rank and file here.When this Correspondent has tried to contact Mr Janardhan Reddy, he was told that minister is touring coastal districts.Speaking to DC, MLA and elder brother of Janardhan Reddy, Somashekhar Reddy has initially pleaded his ignorance on the report saying "Let me confirm the matter first with my brother and later I come to you".However, he is quick to say, ""Dr Y S Rajashekhar Reddy is a Christian. I think, he does not believe in yagnams. However, absolutely there is no chance in, we Reddy Brothers conducting a major yagnam for Andhra CMs victory in the Assembly elections. There are lot many people for him to do so," remarks, Somashekhar Reddy.While, Bellary BJP spokesperson and key player in Reddy Brothers' think tank, Sanjay Betageri has disproved the report saying 'it is false news based on rumours and wrong information".However, the close circle of Reddy Brothers maintained that there is no surprise in Janardhan Reddy holding a yagnam for YSR. "Since the AP CMs son Jagmohan Reddy is holding stakes in Janardhan Reddy's Obulapuram Mining Corporation and also in Rs 25,000 crore steel plant, Brahmini Steels coming up on 17,000 acres in Kadapa. Bellary Reddy's political survival in Karnataka is no doubt depended on YSRs victory in Andhra assembly elections".Even, the Andhra CM who campaigned for the Congress in Bellary for the May assembly elections had only sought votes for Congress and never went on to criticize BJP Reddy Brothers in public meetings.

mining scam - ‘Reddys ready to quit business’

By Shivakumar G Malagi/ Jan 2009 Health minister and co-owner of Obulapuram Mining Corporation (OMC) V.Sriramulu says the U V Singh committee has nowhere referred to his company when talking of encroachments made on the state’s borders. . The U V Singh committee looked into encroachment of the state’s border in the Bellary-Ananthpur forest belt by mining companies registerd in Andhra Pradesh.. “The Singh committee has nowhere found the OMC guilty of encroachment. Let anyone prove this charge. We (he and the three Reddy brothers) will give up the mining business,” Mr Sriramulu asserted, contending that the “Congress leaders who are demanding our resignation on the basis of this report have lost their mental balance.” The U.V. Singh committee, which had officers of the departments of rev enue, forests, survey and land records and mines and geology on it, has held mining firms registered in Andhra Pradesh guilty of encroaching on Karnataka’s border. The Obulapuram Mining Corporation (OMC) and Y. Mahabaleshwarappa Mining Company have been granted leases to mine in Obulapuram, Malapanagudi and Siddapur forest blocks in Andhra Pradesh. Alleges Mr Tapal Ganesh, co-owner of Tumati Iron Ore Mines who first charged the OMC with encroaching on Karnataka’s borders in 2006 , “The OMC owned by the Reddy brothers and the Y Mahabaleshwarappa Mining Company owned by Andhra Chief Minister Y S Rajashekhara Reddy's son Jagan have encroached on the Tumati forest range in the State”. They have been illegally extracting 10,000 tonnes of iron ore per day from the State’s MBT, HT, NR and Tumati mine areas and stocking it in their firms in AP.”

Obulapuram dispute - New twist to mining row

By Shivakumar G Malagi / Jan -2009 Lokayukta N. San tosh Hegde's recommendation to the government that the Centre be asked to investigate the Obulapuram border row has given a new twist to the controversy over alleged encroachment of the state's boundary by neighbouring Andhra Pradesh in the Bellary mining belt. The row involves the Tumati Iron Ore Mines of Karnataka and the Obulapuram Mining Corporation (P) Ltd (OMC), of AP, which belongs to state tourism and infrastructure minister Janardhana Reddy. Tumati Mines was leased land on the inter-state common boundary line and any encroachment of its grounds amounts to an intrusion into the state's border. A forest department surveyor, Dharappa Nayaka had on September 5, 2006 written to his higher-ups about alleged encroachment by the OMC in the Tumati village block. Tumati Mines also complained to the forest department about alleged illegal mining by the OMC in Karnataka's forests. Deputy conservator of forests P Rajashekharan, issued summons on July 4, 2007 to Mr Janardhana Reddy, officer in charge, OMC, asking him to produce an original sketch of the mining area. In his statement of objections dated July 12, 2007, Mr Janardhana Reddy maintained the OMC had obtained the mining lease based on the 1991 inter-state boundary line survey conducted by teams of Andhra and Karnataka. He contended the leased land was about 20 meters away from the inter-stateboundary survey stations.

Lokayukta N. San tosh Hegde's recommendation to the government that the Centre be asked to investigate the Obulapuram border row has given a new twist to the controversy over alleged encroachment of the state's boundary by neighbouring Andhra Pradesh in the Bellary mining belt.
The row involves the Tumati Iron Ore Mines of Karnataka and the Obulapuram Mining Corporation (P) Ltd (OMC), of AP, which belongs to state tourism and infrastructure minister Janardhana Reddy.
Tumati Mines was leased land on the inter-state common boundary line and any encroachment of its grounds amounts to an intrusion into the state's border.
A forest department surveyor, Dharappa Nayaka had on September 5, 2006 written to his higher-ups about alleged encroachment by the OMC in the Tumati village block.
Tumati Mines also complained to the forest department about alleged illegal mining by the OMC in Karnataka's forests.
Deputy conservator of forests P Rajashekharan, issued summons on July 4, 2007 to Mr Janardhana Reddy, officer in charge, OMC, asking him to produce an original sketch of the mining area.
In his statement of objections dated July 12, 2007, Mr Janardhana Reddy maintained the OMC had obtained the mining lease based on the 1991 inter-state boundary line survey conducted by teams of Andhra and Karnataka. He contended the leased land was about 20 meters away from the inter-stateboundary survey stations.

Bellary Reserve Forest Area row

Bellary Reserve Forest Area row By Shivakumar G Malagi/ Jan 10-2009 While tourism minister Janardhan Reddy has welcomed a Central survey of the disputed area in the Bellary Reserve Forest (BRF) where his company, the Obalapuram Mining Corporation is accused of encroaching on the state’s border, he has also filed a writ appeal (W.P No 645 of 2008) in the the high court of Andhra Pradesh arguing against it. He maintains in his petition that the question of direct ing the Survey of India at this stage to verify the existence of or re-fixing of the GTS points, allegedly destroyed by mining companies on the border, is unsustainable. Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde has in his report on mining irregularities claimed the Reddy Brothers’-owned Obulapuram Mining Corporation and other companies registered in Andhra Pradesh are encroaching on Karnataka’s border in the Bellary Reserve Forest. The reserve forest was notified under the Madras Forest Act in 1890 and included land both in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Ever since there-organisation of states in 1956, the interstate boundary has run South West toEast through the forest. Sketches of villages and mining leases on either side of theborder are prepared and approved based on the original BRF map. The Dr U. V. Singh committee which looked into the issue for the Lokayukta, says in its report that the GTS points at Sugglammagudda hillock (Andhra Pradesh) and Timmappanagudda hillock (Karnataka) have been destroyed during the course of mining. Mr Tapal Ganesh of Tumati Iron Ore Mines, which bought mining leases on either side of the inter-state boundary in 1956, says that re-fixing of these two “destroyed” original GTS points is essential for the state government to assess the actual extent of encroachment by the AP registered mining companies like OMC in the reserve forest. However, Mr Reddy argues in his petition to the court that the “GTS point is no more relevant and in fact has lost its relevance, since the state (AP) High Level Committee has already fixed the village boundary between Obulapuram and Siddapuram,” and adds, “Therefore, there is no point in identification of the erstwhile GTS point which was admittedly demolished by the writ petitioner (Bellary Iron Ores Pvt Ltd) itself and declared redundant by Survey of India.”

mining row - Experts: State ignored HC order

mining row - Experts: State ignored HC order By Shivakumar G Malagi / Jan-2009 If mining companies registered in Andhra Pradesh are encroaching on Karnataka ‘s borders, as claimed by a Lokayukta report on mining irregularities, the state probably has itself to blame for not acting sooner to protect its territory. Senior IFS officer U. V. Singh has in his report said mining companies registered in AP, one of them owned by tourism minister Janardhan Reddy, have encroached on the Ananthpur-Bellary boundary line. Legal experts feel the situ ation could have perhaps been averted if the state had acted on the order of the Karnataka High Court passed in March 1981 directing the secretary, mines and geology department of Karnataka and the revenue secretary of Andhra Pradesh to demarcate the boundary and cease all activities in the disputed area until completion of the exercise. Justice K.A. Swamy, in his judgment on Black Gold Mines (present VG Mines) of Karnataka v/s GRR Mines (present OMC) in the AP mine lease dispute case,had ordered that mining on either side of the inter-state boundary line be stopped until the dispute is settled once and for all. He had directed both states not to grant mining leases within 100 metres on either side of the inter-state boundary line to avoid future confusion. But neither government has made any serious effort to end the border row and have permitted mining operations in the disputed area. “Taking advantage of the boom in the iron ore mining industry, the Andhra government granted mining leases across the inter-state border in 2004-05 and the Karnataka government renewed the existing leases on its boundary line,” says an advocate, Mr Ekambaram. The joint director of the survey and land records department, Gulbarga wrote to his superiors in January 1992 complaining of “domination and non-cooperation” by the AP authorities in demarcating the boundary line during a 1991 joint survey. In August 1996 the Ananthpur deputy commissioner wrote to the Bellary DC the border issue was “pending with the AP government.”