Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh Government on Tuesday requested the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe alleged illegal mining by a firm owned by Karnataka’s Tourism Minister in Anantpur district.
Chief Minister K Rosaiah has written to the Centre for a CBI probe, officials said on Tuesday.
The state government decided for a probe after Opposition parties demanded that the mining licence granted to the Obulapuram Mining Corporation (OMC), which is owned by Karnataka BJP leader G Janardhana Reddy, be cancelled for irregularities.
TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu has alleged that the OMC has caused huge losses to the state in the last five years through illegal mining.
Anantapur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Kallol Biswas had issued a notice on November, 1 asking the OMC to explain why the iron ore mined outside the lease area was being illegally transported from Karnataka to Andhra Pradesh using unauthorised roads.
The official claimed that the company destroyed the boundary pillars between the mining lease areas between the two states for this illegal activity.
The Andhra Pradesh government hardened its stance toward Janardhana Reddy and his brothers--famous as Bellary brothers--after the death of Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash on September 2.
Rajasekhara Reddy was considered close to the brothers and the two families share business interests. Janardhana Reddy on Tuesday said he welcomed the state government’s decision to have a CBI probe.
(With inputs from UNI and IANS)
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