Iron ore worth Rs 1.73 cr seized in Bellary district

Bangalore, July 27 (UNI) A combined operation by the Karnataka police, mines and forest department in Bellary district has led to the seizure of Rs 1.73 crore worth of iron ore in the last ten days.

Revealing this to newspersons here, Home Minister M P Prakash said cases have been filed against some individuals, including one Sachidananda Reddy from Andhra Pradesh, and several companies for involving in illegal transportation of the ore. Officials had also detected fake permits purportedly issued by the forest department and illegal storing of iron ore by some sponge iron factories in the district.

He said a team had been sent to Anantpur in Andhra Pradesh for verifying some details, including issuing 300 permits in a single day. There appeared to be a huge network involved and efforts were needed to check illegal operations in the district, he felt.

The State plunged into a political storm when BJP MLC G Janardhana Reddy accused the Chief Minister and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues of receiving Rs 150 crore bribe from iron ore miners in the district for allowing illegal mining.

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