BY SHIVAKUMAR G. MALAGI
BELLARY
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.”
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.”
No comments:
Post a Comment