THAT Karnataka has been looted of its iron ore deposits is no fiction. According to a 21-page reply by Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa in the Assembly on July 10, over the past seven years, 30 million tonnes of ore had been illegally exported from the State. He admitted that successive governments had given mining permits to their partymen and their relatives and a free hand to export the ore illegally. The N. Dharam Singh government (Congress) had issued notifications for 33 mining permits; the H.D. Kumaraswamy government (Janata Dal-Secular) for 19; there were nine beneficiaries during the President's Rule and two under the BJP government.
Yeddyurappa stated that other than from Mangalore, Karwar and Belekere ports, over 76 million tonnes had been exported from Chennai, Mormugao, Krishnapatnam, Kakinada and Visakhapatnam. Ore had also been illegally exported from ports located in other States.
According to his statement, 20,49,961 tonnes of iron ore was exported illegally in 2003-04; 52,39,528 tonnes in 2004-05; 21,71,492 tonnes in 2005-06; 47,44,645 tonnes in 2006-07; 57,61,048 tonnes in 2007-08; 33,96,126 tonnes in 2008-09 and 71,27,937 tonnes in 2009-10. Between 2003 and 2010, a total of 284.5 lakh tonnes of ore was exported from Chennai, 264 lakh tonnes from Mormugao, 117 lakh tonnes from Krishnapatnam, 81 lakh tonnes from Kakinada and 17.5 lakh tonnes from Visakhapatnam.
Ravi Sharma
