The CBI, investigating illegal mining by the Associated Mining Company (AMC), owned by former minister G Janardhana Reddy, began its 3-D laser survey of the mining areas, on Thursday.

The CBI officials, who began their work on April 14, completed the total station survey by Thursday morning and began the 3-D laser survey in the afternoon.

With barely eight million tonnes (mt) of iron ore left for auction in Karnataka, sufficient to fire the steel mills’ furnaces for two months, iron and steel companies in and around the state, including JSW Steel and Kalyani Steel, are in dire need of the key raw material.

In the absence of regular mining, they expect the Supreme Court to give a nod for auctioning another two to four mt of additional ore stored at various stockyards of miners and private traders. The apex court is resuming the hearing on the illegal mining case tomorrow.

Proposes allowing one category of 45 lessees for now, with strict riders including approved R&R plan in line with earlier guidelines; more stringency for others

The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) appointed by the Supreme Court to probe illegal mining in Karnataka has recommended restarting of operations in one of the three categories of leases, with riders. The SC is to hear the case tomorrow.

Karnataka will implement modified National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) in 20 taluks in five districts.

Land losers to get 40 pc of the developed land. After years of inaction, the formation of Arkavathi Layout seems to be back on track, with the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) starting the process of giving compensation to the land losers.

At last: The Bangalore Development Authority begins work at Arkavathy Layout in Bangalore on Wednesday. The layout, with more than 12,000 sites, is coming up in and around Jakkur in the North Bangalore region on 1,100 acres of land encompassing 16 villages.

The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday took the State government to task on its apathy in protecting the forest area in sensitive zones and ordered a stay on the construction of two mini hydel projects.

During the hearing of a petition filed by Prashanth Yavagal and Western Ghats Environment Forum, challenging the permission accorded to set up mini hydel projects in the Western ghats, the Division Bench headed by Justice D V Shylendra Kumar observed that the government was the number one enemy when it came to protection of forests.

The Central Empowered Committee (CEC), appointed by the Supreme Court to inquire into illegal mining and related cases in Karnataka, is likely to give its final report to the apex court tomorrow. The report would cover three cases relating to JSW Steel, Adani Enterprises and former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa.

In its report, the CEC is likely to state whether a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry is required on the bribery charges against Yeddyurappa.

The High Court has directed the special task force - constituted by it to look into the man-elephant conflict and the proposed translocation of elephants from Hassan - to submit the report within three months.

During the hearing of a petition, when the Bench questioned about the delay in submitting the report, the State government said that the task force members were still studying the issue.

A Karnataka-based NGO is one of the eight finalists for the UK-based green energy prize, the Ashden Award.

It affects irrigation in the lower reaches of the command area

Rampant violation of cropping pattern, unauthorised irrigation in the command area of the Tungabhadra irrigation project, failure of Water Resources Department officials to levy penalty on farmers violating cropping pattern and on those from outside command area drawing water unauthorisedly are some of the issues highlighted in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.