BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s economic adviser Basavaraj Rayareddyunleashed a blistering attack on the state’s sand mafia and officials allegedly shielding them. He claimed that the nexus is robbing the state of over Rs 400 crore in royalty every year.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, he accused corrupt officials and the sand mafia of jointly plundering the state’s natural resources. “If we can collect income tax and GST efficiently, why not royalty on sand,” he asked. He suggested a simple, transparent system where homeowners pay royalty directly to the government for sand used in construction — cutting out the middlemen and mafia.
He alleged that illegal payments and bribes routinely grease the wheels of the Mines & Geology Department and the local police, allowing unchecked sand smuggling to thrive “in broad daylight”. The former housing minister and Yelburga MLA warned that he will escalate the issue to the CM, Urban Development Minister BS Suresha, Mines and Geology Minister SS Mallikarjun and DCM D K Shivakumar, demanding a coordinated crackdown on the sand mafia. Minister Mallikarjun told the TNIE, “We will work out a strategy for sand, like we have for other sectors.”
Ravindra Shetty of the Karnataka Association for Quarries and Crushers pointed out that even the Public Accounts Committee, led by then chairman and current Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, had earlier pegged the state’s losses at Rs 18,000-20,000 crore from illegal sand, laterite and stone mining under the BJP regime.
Rayareddy also sought that officials stationed in the same place for many years be transferred to reduce bribery. He demanded appropriate action against many officials who are involved in rampant sand mining and corruption. He mentioned that every day, 100-150 trips of sand are illegally transported to neighbouring districts from Koppal.
He said over 200 people are involved in the sand mafia. A task force should be formed under the chairmanship of the deputy commissioner and action should be taken, he added. Sand mining is rampant in Hirehalla along the Tungabhadra river. As soon as the illegality was reported, alert officials registered a case.
Illegal granite mining too is going on in Budagumpa,
Kerehalli and Bandi Harlapur areas. Based on a complaint filed, a team led by the additional director of the Mines and Geology Department conducted a site inspection and submitted a report.
(With inputs from
Raghottam Koppar @ Gadag)