The Supreme Court on Friday refused to go by the report of Karnataka Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to go by the report of Karnataka Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde, who had said the apex court was his only hope as the Karnataka government might not act on his report indicting chief minister B S Yeddyurappa in the illegal mining scam.
After a bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia ordered suspension of all mining activity in Bellary district, advocate Prashant Bhushan sought a similar order for Chitradurga and Tumkur saying the Lokayukta also reported rampant illegal mining in the two districts. When Bhushan started reading from the Lokayukta’s report, the bench asked, “Is there anything mentioned about environmental degradation in Chitradurga and Tumkur?”
Counsel appearing for mining companies, senior advocates C A Sundaram and Dushyant Dave, said the Lokayukta has framed the report without even asking for any response from any of the mining lease holders and the court should not take cognisance of it.
However, appearing for steel manufaturers, senior avocate A M Singhvi said in the face of largescale illegal mining, the court should close down private mining and hand over operations to the NMDC, the centre or the state to keep supply of raw material to the industry intact so that the economy does not suffer.
Bhushan said the Lokayukta had referred to illegal mining in Bellary and said similar activity was widespread in Chitradurga and Tumkur districts. Quoting the Lokayukta’s report, Bhushan said “ill-effects of illegal mining were suffered not only by people in Bellary but also extended to those residing in the districts of Chitradurga and Tumkur”.
The bench, however, remained firm. “We are not going by Lokayukta's report. Show us environmental degradation in Chitradurga and Tumkur and we will take appropriate action. There has to be a report about adverse impact on environment. Otherwise, we are not going by the report of Lokayukta or anybody,” it said.
It asked the Central Empowered Committee to conduct an environmental impact assessment of mining in Chitradurga and Tumkur and submit a report to the court in three weeks.
Hegde had feared that the Karnataka government might not take action on his report indicting Yeddyurappa in the illegal mining case and said, “My only hope is Supreme Court.”