BANGALORE: The report on illegal mining submitted by the Karnataka Lokayukta has criticised the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board for ignoring norms while recommending environmental clearance to a mining firm.According to the report, the board failed to involve stake-holders in a public hearing before sending a recommendation to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to grant environmental clearance to Janthakal Enterprises for mining in Chitradurga district. Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy is charged with violating norms while renewing the mining licence of Janthakal Enterprises during his tenure as chief minister in a private complaint filed by an advocate.The Lokayukta, in chapter 16 of its report on illegal mining, mentioned that KPSCB held the hearing without involving the villagers of Tanigehalli and Hirekandavadi villages where the mining lease was located.Terming it as a serious lapse, the Lokayukta said, “It was nothing but extending favour to the lessee.”The company had sought permission to lift dumps of over 1,17,800 metric tonnes of iron ore from the government and the Kumaraswamy government is said to have cleared it after applying tremendous pressure on the authorities concerned.“They have been putting pressure on us and the CM spoke to me thrice,” an official was quoted as saying in the related file.
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