Belagavi mining row: Whistleblowers flag illegal use of govt land, seek probe

Belagavi: Whistleblowers Raj Kumar Topannavar and Sujit Mulgund have alleged illegal mining, unauthorised use of govt land and administrative lapses in a petition to chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh, seeking urgent intervention.The complaint comes after the director of the mines and geology department allowed resumption of mining on govt land at Belagundi village in Belagavi taluk on May 2, despite the department having recently suspended laterite mining by Malini Resources at the site following objections and media scrutiny.The petition claims that Survey No 285 was unlawfully included in the mining lease area by department officials without statutory approval. The whistleblowers say none of the no-objection certificates (NOCs) issued by the Revenue and Forest Departments mention this survey number, yet mining is allegedly being carried out by treating it as part of the sanctioned lease.They argue that any move to include Survey No 285 is legally untenable and amounts to misrepresentation. They have also questioned the approval to resume operations, saying it fails to address the alleged unauthorised inclusion of government land, does not establish the existence of a valid environmental clearance (EC), and overlooks the lack of any recent ground-level geological survey.According to the complaint, no valid EC exists for the current scale of operations, making any mining activity illegal regardless of prior permissions. It further alleges that no recent scientific survey or approved mining plan has been undertaken, rendering the continuation of operations arbitrary and unlawful.The whistleblowers have also flagged the alleged inaction of the Revenue Department in registering an FIR, despite Survey No 285 being classified as government land. They claim repeated complaints backed by documents failed to trigger action against illegal extraction and encroachment, pointing to possible dereliction of duty and collusion.Seeking intervention, they have urged the chief secretary to order a comprehensive inquiry into the inclusion of Survey No 285, direct registration of FIRs against the mining company and officials concerned, examine the role of senior Mines and Geology Department officers, and halt all mining until compliance is ensured. They have also sought recovery of losses to the state exchequer and strict action against those responsible.