Daijiworld Media Network - Byadgi
Byadgi, Sep 20: The department of mines and geology has intensified its crackdown on illegal stone quarries, issuing a massive Rs 3.43 crore penalty notice to former Byadgi MLA Virupakshappa Ballari.
This action closely follows a Rs 3 crore penalty imposed on Haveri district in-charge minister Rudrappa Lamani for similar illegal quarrying activities.
Drone survey exposes encroachment
The penalties are the result of a meticulous technical drone survey conducted across Haveri district by the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre (KSRSAC). The comprehensive audit identified over 46 quarry operators involved in illegal activities, resulting in a staggering cumulative penalty exceeding Rs 26.1 crore. The fines are payable in three instalments over a six-month period.
The aerial mapping and ground inspections confirmed that the former legislator, who operated quarries under the name V R Ballari, had blatantly violated his sanctioned lease boundaries and encroached upon neighbouring government and private plots to extract additional stone.
Massive illegal extraction
Investigations revealed that Ballari illegally extracted and transported an excessive 3,84,161 tonnes of stone far beyond his permitted quota. Furthermore, trespassing onto adjacent lands resulted in the illegal extraction of another 53,410 tonnes of stone.
The crackdown also extended to the former MLA's brother, S R Ballari, who was issued a penalty of Rs 1.23 crore for illicitly extracting 1,76,313 tonnes of excess material alongside 50,401 tonnes from encroached areas. In addition, irregularities were found at a quarry linked to the brother and son of current Byadgi MLA Basavaraj Shivannanavar, leading to a Rs 50 lac fine.
Faced with these hefty financial penalties, the State Stone Quarry and Crusher Owners Association has strongly objected, condemning the government's survey methods as "unscientific" and threatening to launch an indefinite strike.
To calculate the penalties, the department is enforcing a strict royalty formula: Rs 70 per tonne is charged for excess extraction within legal lease boundaries, while a double penalty of Rs 140 per tonne is levied for encroachment and extraction on non-leased lands.