From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Feb 15: The State Government has decided to order a probe into the alleged rampant illegal granite quarrying in Kanakapura taluk of Ramanagaram district allegedly by Congress leader D K Shiva Kumar and his brother D K Suresh Kumar.

Karnataka’s Forest Minister C P Yogeshwar claimed that the Congress leader was involved in illegal granite quarrying in Kanakapura taluk for the last 15 years and looted the state exchequer to the tune of thousands of crores of rupees.

The minister said he would hold discussions with Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda and decide the nature of the probe in the next three days, Yogeshwar said.

Several officials of many departments have also hand in glove with Shivakumar and other leaders involved in illegal quarrying.

To bring the culprits to the book, a survey would be ordered in areas where illegal granite mining was on, the minister said.

The illegal granite lobby plundered natural resources, which has resulted into straying of wild animals into villages, he said.

“The granite lobby has established a parallel government in the district” and taluk office of Kanakapura has been turned into “trust office” of former minister and Congress MLA.

The lobby even challenged his entry into Ramanagaram, the minister said adding: The granite lobby in the district had threatened him with dire consequences if any attempts were made to enforce the rule of law.

A vast tract of forest lands have been encroached for conducting illegal granite quarrying and this was found during his recent visit to Yaranatapanahalli in Kanakapura taluk, the Minister said.

Though only 23 permits have been issued for quarrying, more than 350 operators have been into illegal quarrying business in the past 15 years.

Thousands of trucks, JCBs and other heavy vehicles have been used to transport granite stones in the district, which needed to be curbed, the minister said.