Axed trees resurface in the record books

BBMP’s tree officers are under a cloud following allegations that they siphoned off crores of rupees on the pretext of paying for contract labour to fell trees which had been felled long ago. An RTI query by NGO Civic Bangalore revealed that in 2007, the Palike felled 255 trees on Bellary Road near CBI Junction, Golf Club, near High Grounds police station, Cunningham Road, Windsor Manor, Cauvery Theatre and Balabrooie. Similarly, 199 trees were axed on Hosur-Sarjapur Road and 159 trees in the central zone.

Bangalore: The Karnataka Government has suspended 40 officials and staff and issued show-cause notices to 257 who have been named by Lokayukta reports in illegal mining in Karnataka, Chief Minister

The State government has suspended 40 officials and issued show cause notices to 257 others who have been named in Lokayukta report on illegal mining, Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar said in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

Responding to a question byTanveer Sait (Congress), he said show cause notices have been issued to five IAS officers and one IPS officer, and disciplinary action has been taken against three officials of Mysore Minerals Ltd. Besides, 66 officials have been transferred from Bellary district as recommended in the report.

JSW Steel Limited, the country’s lowest-cost steel producer, plans to set up a 2.3 million tonne per annum (mtpa) cold rolling mill complex to manufacture high-grade automotive steel at Toranagallu in Bellary district. The project is being implemented in phases at an estimated cost of Rs 4,500 crore with Phase-I getting operational by March 2013 and Phase II by December 2013.

In addition to the CRM complex, JSW has also signed an MoU with the state government for setting up a 3.42 MTPA coke dry quenching (CDQ) plant to produce steel.

Rehabilitation, reclamation plan cleared

After receiving brickbats for long, the troubled mining industry has finally got some reprieve. The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Supreme Court has given its nod to eight mining firms located in Bellary and Chitradurga districts to resume their operations. Speaking at a seminar on “Rebuilding Iron Ore Mining and Steel Making Capabilities”, H R Srinivasa, director of Mines and Geology, said the CEC had informed the State government that it had cleared the Rehabilitation and Reclamation plan of the eight ‘A’ category mines,

Bangalore Eight Karnataka iron ore mines will resume operations by the end of July, possibly adding around 5.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) and easing some supply constraints.

“The reclamation & rehabilitation (R&R) plans of eight mines have been cleared and final approval will be given by the central empowered committee (CEC) today,” HR Srinivasa, director, department of mines & geology, Karnataka, said here on Wednesday.

The Karnataka government is looking to mobilise close to Rs 10,000 crore from the iron ore mining sector which will be transferred to a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to undertake social infrastruct

Iron ore mining may resume by end-August in 14-15 leases in Karnataka’s Bellary region. The mines have a capacity of 4-5 million tonnes per annum.

The government informs the High Court that Lad brothers are running water sports firm and resort on encroached forest land at Sandur

The State government on Monday informed the Karnataka High Court that MP Anil V. Lad and his brother Ashok V. Lad have encroached upon 86 acres and 97 cents of forest land for running their water sports firm and a resort at Sandur.

Better compensation demanded for land taken for steel plant

The KIADB is alleged to have violated the order of the High Court of Karnataka, asking it to call a meeting of farmers who have demanded that the compensation amount for the land acquired for the steel plant proposed to be set up by the Mittals at Kudathini in the taluk be raised. The High Court had stayed the acquisition of land, following a plea by a group of 30 farmers from Kudathini on May 4.