Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jul 23: The much-debated report on illegal mining by Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde, to be tabled next week, is likely to be submitted to the government and not the governor, sources said.

The Lokayukta has so far submitted reports ony to the government and this time too the protocol will be followed. Moreover, it was the government that had asked the Lokayukta to probe the mining issue and not the governor.

Governor H R Bhardwaj had earlier said that he would take appropriate action once the report was submitted to him.

Justice Santosh Hegde also said that he did not want to intensify the rift between the chief minister and the governor who had previously been involved in a tussle over the MLA disqualification issue.

However, the governor is welcome to ask for a copy of the report and give his recommendations as he deems fit.

Hegde who will be retiring on the first of August said that he was concerned about the safety and career prospects of the of five Lokayukta officials under him. The officials had probed the illegal mining for the latest report, and recommended to the Government to treat them as "whistle-blowers".

Referring to U V Singh, a senior forest official and key investigator on the illegal mining who was attacked by a Bangalore Corporator when he was probing discharge of polluted water a few months ago, Hegde said that the illegal mining issue was much more serious.