B'lore: Yogeshwar Announces Probe Against D K Shivakumar in Granite Quarrying
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Feb 22: The ongoing political tussel between Congress leader D K Shivakumar and the BJP leader C P Yogeshwar, who is also the Cabinet minister for Forests in the D V Sadananda Gowda ministry, over the alleged illegal granite quarrying by the former in Kanakapura taluk of Ramangara district took a decisive turn with the minister announcing the constitution of an official committee headed by Additional Principal Conservator of Forests Deepak Sharma.
The Deepak Sharma panel has been asked to probe the alleged widespread granite quarrying carried out by the Congress leader Shivakumar and his brother D K Sureshkumar in Kanakapura taluk and submit its report within a fortnight, the Forest Minister said.
The Congress leader was involved in illegal granite quarrying for the last 15 years and looted the state exchequer thousands of crore of rupees, he said.
The official committee has been constituted after holding discussion with Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, the minister said.
Earlier, former cricketer and Co-vice Chairman of Karnataka State Board for Wildlife Anil Kumble and Forest Minister C P Yogeshwar called upon the people to join hands with the State Government to prevent forest fires in the State.
The former spinner and the minister released the poster titled “together let’s bowl out Forest Fires.”
Brought out under the joint initiative of the State Board for Wildlife and the Forest Department, the poster campaign aimed at creating awareness on forest fires in the State in the wake of summer season.
The poster aimed at creating awareness about lighting fire to dry leaves and wood, smoking cigarette/beedi and cooking in the forest areas.
With the onset of summer, forest fires occurred in different parts of the State. With a little awareness forest fires could be prevented, the Minister said.
Some set fire to withered forest grass during the summer to see a good regeneration after a shower or two with a view to enabling cattle grazing.