Committee recommends action against 617 government officials in mining scam

The high-level committee set up to look into the Karnataka Lokayukta report on illegal mining has recommended action against 617 officials, including seven of all-India cadre, indicted by the report.

The committee, headed by additional chief secretary K Jairaj, in its 317-page report, has named about 787 officials, of whom 150 have passed away.

The committee has already directed the departments of revenue, mines and geology, police, commercial tax, forest and transport to serve notices on the officials indicted in the report and seek their replies.

However, most officials who had been served with notices have rejected charges of having received bribes from arrested mining baron G Janardhana Reddy, now in judicial custody in Hyderabad.

The Lokayukta report based on documents seized from Karapudi Mahesh, a trusted aide of Reddy, has indicated that payments were made to officials of various departments.

The committee has recommended stringent action against some of the officials, including dismissal.