Need a court-monitored probe on illegal sand mining as Home Minister has expressed ‘helplessness’: Karnataka HC

Taking cognisance of Home Minister G. Parameshwara’s connection that helium was “helpless” successful taking enactment against amerciable soil mining owed to “involvement of galore influential persons”, the High Court of Karnataka has said that the contented of amerciable soil mining present requires a court-monitored probe by a Central bureau oregon a specially-constituted agency, oregon a Special Investigation Team.

“If the Home Minister of the State feels helpless successful taking enactment to curb the amerciable soil mining by mafias, determination cannot beryllium immoderate anticipation that the said amerciable enactment of soil mining successful the State tin beryllium curbed by the State machinery,” the tribunal observed successful its order.

A Division Bench, comprising Justice D.K. Singh and Justice Tara Vitasta Ganju, passed the bid portion suo motu initiating a PIL petition based connected Dr. Parameshwar’s January 27 statement, made connected the level of the Legislative Assembly, reported successful newspapers connected January 28.

The Bench took enactment of the Home Minister’s reported statement: “Illegal soil mining is simply a large racket. I americium not giving immoderate mentation oregon naming anyone, arsenic it is simply a small embarrassing. I person fixed lone a restricted answer, but it involves galore influential people. I volition telephone a gathering to sermon the issue.”

It was reported successful the newspapers that bids for extraction of soil were invited but they were not opened yet. Many large sharks bash not privation the extraction legalised, arsenic legalised extraction would interaction the soil mafia.

Dr. Parameshwara had made the statements portion responding to a question connected amerciable soil mining raised by Devagurga MLA Karemma Naik, who had complained connected the level of the Assembly astir the menace to her beingness from the soil mafias.

While ordering contented of announcement to the State government, the Bench asked the registry to spot the petition earlier the Chief Justice for assigning it earlier an due Bench for hearing.