M A I N   N E W S

illegal mining
Lokayukta report names Yeddyurappa
Former CM HD Kumaraswamy, Cong MP, 4 ministers also indicted
Shubhadeep Choudhury/TNS

Bangalore, July 20
The days of BS Yeddyurappa as the Chief Minister of Karnataka may be numbered as it has come to the light that the Chief Minister, who played a key role in the electoral victory of the BJP in the state, has been named on two counts in the Lokayukta’s report on illegal mining.

Though Lokayukta Santosh Hegde is yet to hand over his report to the government, its contents found its way to a local TV channel here that beamed the news during its 9 pm bulletin.

“Unfortunately, the report has been leaked,” Lokayukta Hegde confirmed. He said he was planning to submit the report to the government in one or two days. “I’ll see if I can still give it to the government in one to two days,” he said. Hegde did not deny the contents of the report being aired on the TV channel.

Besides Yeddyurappa, the report has also named JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who have hurled numerous allegations against Yeddyurappa related to land scams, as an accused in the illegal mining business.

Congress Rajya Sabha member Anil Lad, a mining baron himself, has also been charged in the report.

The BJP government in the state will have to bear the maximum brunt of the report as it has also named four ministers of the Yeddyurappa-led Cabinet as being involved in illegal mining. These ministers are: Tourism Minister Janardhana Reddy and his brother and Revenue Minister Karunakara Reddy, Health Minister B Sreeramulu and Housing Minister V Somanna. The first three ministers are also rich mining magnates from Bellary.

The Lokayukta’s report said the two Reddy brothers and Sreeramulu got commissions from all the illegal mining activity that took place in the iron ore rich district of Bellary.

The report also named about 600 officials as aiding or abetting illegal mining in the state or being directly involved in the business.

Earlier in the day, Yeddyurappa left for Mauritius for holidaying with his children and grandchildren. “He will return in four to five days,” Bhrungeesh, Chief Minster’s media adviser, said.

The Chief Minister knew that Hegde was about to submit his report since his term as the Lokayukta would expire on July 31. It was also widely anticipated that Yeddyurappa’s name would figure in the report. One reason for Yeddyurappa’s going abroad at this juncture could be that he did not want to immediately face the heat that the report would generate.

Importantly, an interim report into illegal mining submitted by the Lokayukta in 2008 is still gathering dust. Besides naming some IAS and one IPS officer, the interim report had charged former Chief Minister Dharam Singh. The Lokayukta has no powers to prosecute.

Governor HR Bhardwaj, who has already recommended imposition of the President’s Rule in the state on two occasions, is expected to get active tomorrow to hasten the demise of Yeddyurappa. The BJP high command may also be left with no choice but to ask Yeddyurappa to step down in the wake of figuring of his name in the Lokayukta’s report.