After a long battle seeking CBI probe into the illegal mining scam, social activist S R Hiremath is now after land sharks.
The co-petitioner before the Supreme Court Green Bench in the illegal mining case, on Thursday urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to take immediate action against major encroachers of government land, including MLAs from across the political spectrum, and businessman Siddartha, the son-in-law of former chief minister S M Krishna. Hiremath said the government is mute on a scam of over `1,95,000 crore. A High Court division bench had issued notices to the state government based on PIL filed by Hiremath and others, seeking the reinstatement of a task force, which was revoked.
“While the PIL is being heard before the High Court, I urge the Chief Minister to deal firmly with encroachers of government gomala and forest land, including tanks and lakes. Two reports, one submitted by retired IAS officer V Balasubramaian and joint legislature committee, headed by A T Ramaswamy, have names of public representatives and businessmen involved in gross encroachment of government land. Instead of taking immediate action, the government is mulling appointing another committee to look into these reports”, Hiremath said.
He said MLAs, who are involved in encroachment include Sringeri MLA D N Jeevaraj, Holenarsipur MLA H D Revanna and Srinivaspura MLA KR Ramesh Kumar. The report indicted Jeevaraj and Revanna for illegally granting government land to their supporters and relatives exercising their powers as chairmen of respective Land Regularisation Committees in Chikmagalur and Hassan.
“Balasubramaian had also written a detailed letter to Upa Lokayukta Justice S B Majage in 2011 on the affairs of the Land Regularisation Committee headed by Revanna in Hassan. The letter urged the Upa Lokayukta to take up criminal cases against government officials for forgery and cheating. Ramesh Kumar still owns a house built on encroached land of up to 60 acres in Janagalakunte forest area. Siddartha encroached upon 6.5 acres of Byrasandra lake bund where Bagmane Tech Park was constructed. After the construction, the buildings were sold to MNCs. The photograph of this encroachment is on the cover page of Balasubranian’s report ‘Greed and Connivance’,” he said.
Hiremath said another important person named in the report is Ramanjaneya, former Special DC of KIADB. He was arrested by Lokayukta police in the Bandikodigehalli land scam. The Balasubramanian report stated Ramanjaneya was involved in 428 cases of illegally granting land.
Welcomes Arrest
According to Hiremath, three senior Indian Forestry Service (IFS) officers Mutthaiah, Manoj Kumar Shukla, who were arrested by the CBI, will reveal some more names involved in the illegal mining scam in the state.
He welcomed Wednesday’s arrests, but said the CBI took a long time to act against the accused involved in Deccan Mining Syndicate scam.
He said officials who have been indicted in the Lokayukta report are continuing in their posts without any disciplinary action being taken against them.
“For a change, since the probe is on, arrested officials are revealing names of all those officials involved in the illegal mining scam. I urge the CM and chief secretary to take immediate action against all officials named in the Lokayukta report and also those who have been arrested or named in the FIRs by the CBI,” Hiremath said.