Krishna Leela, Dharma, and Karma in mining

Good that Yeddurappa is nailed for gaining Rs. 30 crore through illegal mining; bad that the people paved way for the scam that caused loss of Rs. 16085 crore to exchequer are allowed walking free.

Roots of illegal mining in Karnataka are at the government’s decision to de-reserve forest area in Bellary, Hospet, and Sandoor, in 2003. Forest land of 43 630 sq km area was de-reserved, through two government orders, out of which 11650 sq km went to the private mining companies.

The irregularity was that the forest land was de-reserved in violation of Industrial Policy Resolution 1956 and it was done with a sole intention of helping the private miners to loot. The order had said: “the area de-reserved is bereft of tree cover”, where as it was a rich forest land with lush green.

This was the first fraud committed by people at the helm that snowballed into a humongous scam. They saw taking away green from the forest would take them to a greener pasture. S M Krishna was the chief minister, but his name is not mentioned in either of the two reports of Lokayukta on illegal mining. Instead, Santhosh Hegde chose to insist the foreign minister was not implicated as if he had nothing to do with the illegality.

Hegde might not know the political value of his statement, but it gave a booster dose for the aging politician who is looking for a re-entry to the state politics with a bang.

There are records showing how callous were the government officials when they plundered. A director of mines and geology headed a block of de-reserve and he went ahead with his own plans even without a minter’s order. Secretary of commerce and industry had told him he need not had to worry about the bureaucratic procedure while dealing with those issues as the speed of execution had mattered. These officers were the blue-eyed boys of the CM, while the industry minister was his chela.

True, these officers were indicted in the first report of Lokayukta. The report had even recommended recovering Rs. 6 crore from the director, while suggesting legal action against the secretary, and the minister. They were all let off after taking a procedural explanation from them.

N Dharma Singh was figured in the first report for allowing mining and lifting ore from fertile land, in 2005, when he was chief minister. The official notes indicate the CM personally insisted the deputy commissioner of the district to turn blind on the miners exploiting the farm land. The DC was compelled to ignore the persistent reminders from secretry, mines and geology, that the act was in violation of MMRD rules.

The Lokayukta report had recommended recovery of Rs. 23 crore from Dharma Singh after prosecuting him. But, the governor Rameswar Thakur simply exonerated because he is the true Congressman so as the current resident of the Rajbhavan.

Hegde has put the ball again into the court of the governor although His Excellency is not in a playful mood. The report refers to the governor for action against chief minister B S Yeddyurappa under Prevention of Corruption Act.

H R Bharadwaj is silent for two apparent reasons: One Lokayukta has not invoked section 13 of the Karanataka Lokayukta Act that empowers the governor to remove chief minister in case he is implicated in the investigative report. In the absence of this weapon, he is left with only sanctioning to prosecute the CM under prevention of corruption Act, which would not a big punishment for Yeddyurppa because he is already facing it in many cases. The other one is political. The Congress has chosen not to commit murder as the BJP has taken that responsibility. When they are killing their own hero why you take risk?

Supposing Yeddyurappa can overcome his party high command, which is out of sight now, Bharadwaj has to swing into action. In that case, he will face the question of Krishna and Dharma Singh, which would mellow him down.

And that is why Yeddyrappa now prefers to like enemy to love a friend.