Eight booked for illegal laterite mining in Belagavi taluk

Belagavi: Acting on a complaint by the department of mines and geology, Belagavi Rural Police have registered an FIR against eight residents of Kinaye village for their alleged involvement in illegal laterite ore mining. The case was filed late on Saturday night, and efforts are under way to trace the accused.Those named in the FIR are Bharamanna Maruti Patil, Jomagonda Maruti Patil, Pralhad Mahadev Patil, Subhash Narayan Gavada, Narayan Bharamanna Patil, Sanjay Yashwant Patil, Dheer Patil and Akshay Patil. According to the complaint filed by geologist Bindan Patil, about 5,629 metric tonnes of laterite ore were illegally extracted and transported from survey No. 183/2, and another 4,500 metric tonnes from survey No. 184/1 in Kinaye village, resulting in significant loss to the govt exchequer.In a recent report, TOI had highlighted the issue of illegal laterite mining at Kinaye and several other villages in Belagavi and Khanapur taluks. In Kinaye, such activities were being blatantly carried out.Sources said the latest action by the department comes amid mounting scrutiny, though concerns remain over whether enforcement efforts are focused on smaller operators rather than larger players involved in the illegal trade. Last week, a separate case was registered against a farmer from Inam Badas village for allegedly mining without permission on his land.Meanwhile, attention continues to centre on alleged illegal mining in govt land in Belagavi taluk. The district administration reportedly planned action at a site in survey No. 285 in Belagundi village. But the operation was delayed, reportedly due to political pressure.