From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jul 27: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asked the Mines and Geology as well as Forest Department Ministers and officers to set up single window agency to solve the problems pertaining to mining leases in the State.

Addressing a meeting of the two departments with its respective ministers and officials in Vidhana Soudha on Thursday, the chief minister said the proposed single window agency must hold regular meetings every month or at least once in two months to settle all disputes.

With a large number of cases pertaining to granting alternative sites for afforestation works by the mining lease holders in several forest areas, the chief minister said it would have solved several disputed cases.

Worried by the menace of wild elephants and other wild animals destroying crops, Siddaramaiah said several farmers have offered to even sell their agricultural lands. Such lands could be handed over to the mining lease holders to develop forests.

The chief minister said as much as 2.7 lakh metric tonnes of ore seized from illegal mines is still lying in forests, which would be disposed after seeking legal opinion.

Forest Minister Ishwar Khandre, Horticulture and Mining minister S S Mallikarjun, chief minister’s political secretaries K Govindaraju and Naseer Ahmed, Chief Minister’s Additional Chief Secretary Dr Rajneesh Goel, Forest Department Additional Chief Secretary Zaved Akhtar, Revenue Department Principal Secretary Rajendar Kataria and others senior officials participated in the meeting.