DHNS reported that officials of the Transport department in six districts of Karnataka, who are accused of colluding with the Reddys of Bellary by turning a blind eye to the illegal transport of iron ore, are in for trouble.

The department has finally begun cracking the whip by identifying those officials whose names figure in the Lokayukta mining report serving show cause notices to them. The department has sought explanations from six regional transport officers, 54 inspectors of motor vehicles and three drivers.

Action will be initiated against these employees after the department receives reply to their show cause notices. The details of the action taken by the department have also been submitted to the K Jairaj Committee which studied the Lokayukta report.

The Income Tax department had seized a pen drive from Mr Kharapudi Mahesh a benami mining operator for Mr Janardhana Reddy. Mr Mahesh had listed 617 names of government employees to whom he had reportedly paid bribes.

He had also mentioned the date when the bribe was paid to each government employee who had helped them to carry on with illegal mining and transport ore. The same list forms a part of the Lokayukta report.

The Lokayukta report refers to the Transport department’s alleged involvement in the mining business of the Reddys in chapters 2, 3 and 28 totaling to 5,000 pages. While referring to the Belekeri port issue, the report says that 16,000 truckloads of ore belonging to various mining firms/lease holders had made it to the Belekeri port.

Overloading of trucks was rampant in Bellary and other districts en route to the ports. The Transport department is now cross-checking the trip sheet details of the trucks with that of the road laden weight permits.

(Sourced from www.deccanherald.com)