BELAGAVI: Serious allegations have surfaced over rampant illegal laterite mining continuing unabated in the Belagavi Rural constituency for the past three months, allegedly right under the nose of the police and the Department of Mines and Geology, resulting in massive losses to government revenue.
Laterite, a key raw material used in cement manufacturing, is reportedly being extracted in blatant violation of mining laws, with losses running into crores of rupees. The illegal operations came to light after social activist Rahul Siddappa Avanache of Muchandi village alerted Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan and District In-charge Minister Satish Jarkiholi.
Following the complaint, officials from the Mines and Geology Department conducted a raid. However, villagers allege that the mining was halted only for a few hours and resumed the very same night, raising serious doubts about the intent and effectiveness of the action taken.
Adding to the controversy, officials reportedly issued only a “warning” to the contractor, while notices were served on poor farmers who had leased out their land. This has triggered allegations of selective action and official complicity.
A contractor was granted permission in March 2025 to extract 2.58 lakh metric tonnes of laterite from 12 acres of land in Inam Badas village. However, investigations revealed that mining was also being carried out illegally at three additional unauthorised sites in the same village, sources said.
Angry villagers dismissed the raid as an “eyewash”, pointing out that not a single truck was seized, no JCB machines were confiscated, and no illegally mined laterite was impounded. Shockingly, no notice was issued to the contractor.
Senior Geologist Bindan Patil, who led the raid, confirmed that only a warning had been issued to the contractor. Legal experts, however, point out that illegal mining laws clearly mandate arrests and the seizure of vehicles, machinery and minerals, raising a critical question: does a mere warning amount to protection?
Sources claim that illegally mined laterite is being transported without inspection through the jurisdictions of 15 to 20 police stations to cement factories in Kalaburagi and Andhra Pradesh. The scale of this movement has raised serious questions about whether such operations could continue without official and police collusion.
What is unfolding is no longer seen as merely a contractor’s crime. Locals say it reflects a systemic failure, marked by departmental silence and alleged political patronage.
Even more disturbing are allegations that illegally mined laterite is being dumped into licensed mining areas and passed off as legally extracted mineral, effectively laundering stolen natural resources.
Who is protecting those involved in this mess remains the million-dollar question.