Bellary:
At the heart of Karnataka's mining belt, deep in Bellary Forest Reserve lie the rumblings of a Supreme Court order that could alter Karnataka's politicalscape, widely known to be funded by mining money.
In Malappanagudi village on the Karnataka-Andhra border, lands of two mines have overlapped leading to a vicious dispute.
Tumti Iron Ore is owned by Tapal Ganesh, a third-generation miner who is fighting a battle against Obalapuram Mining, owned by the infamous Reddy brothers - Janardhana and Karunakara.
Ganesh's mine lies on the Karnataka side of the border while the Reddy brothers' mine on the Andhra side - both adjoining.
In 2006, Ganesh filed a police complaint alleging the Reddys' have encroached on his mine. This at a time when the Reddy's were not in power but had support in BJP Minister B Sriramulu - more critically in the YSR Government in Andhra where all their mines lie. Within days the case was suppressed.
Two years later the BJP Government returned to power with a majority. The Reddy's were now ministers who had successfully arm twisted the Karnataka government into giving them greater freedom over Bellary. Under them a land survey ruled out Ganesh's allegation of encroachment.
In 2009, Ganesh moved Karnataka High Court that ordered a survey by the Indian Bureau of Mines.
The Bureau told the court that the survey could not be completed as the Andhra Pradesh government did not send its officials, alluding yet again to the YSR-Reddy brothers' link.
In November, Ganesh filed another case alleging the Reddy brothers' were using ten hectares of reserved forest land in the border village of Siddapuram in Andhra for mining.
The Centrally Empowered Committee on Forests inspected the land and said:
The Reddys have encroached mineral-rich areas outside mining leases
Also YSR's son Jaganmohan Reddy is their ''business partner''
In November 2009, K Rosaiah, the new Andhra Chief Minister suspended all mining leases Reddy brothers held in his state. The Reddys challenged this in the Andhra High Court and ironically won.
The Andhra Pradesh government challenged this decision in the Supreme Court and the court on March 22, directed the Survey of India to conduct a survey of the Reddy brothers' mine holdings in Andhra and file a report before April 9.
In Malappanagudi village on the Karnataka-Andhra border, lands of two mines have overlapped leading to a vicious dispute.
Tumti Iron Ore is owned by Tapal Ganesh, a third-generation miner who is fighting a battle against Obalapuram Mining, owned by the infamous Reddy brothers - Janardhana and Karunakara.
Ganesh's mine lies on the Karnataka side of the border while the Reddy brothers' mine on the Andhra side - both adjoining.
In 2006, Ganesh filed a police complaint alleging the Reddys' have encroached on his mine. This at a time when the Reddy's were not in power but had support in BJP Minister B Sriramulu - more critically in the YSR Government in Andhra where all their mines lie. Within days the case was suppressed.
Two years later the BJP Government returned to power with a majority. The Reddy's were now ministers who had successfully arm twisted the Karnataka government into giving them greater freedom over Bellary. Under them a land survey ruled out Ganesh's allegation of encroachment.
In 2009, Ganesh moved Karnataka High Court that ordered a survey by the Indian Bureau of Mines.
The Bureau told the court that the survey could not be completed as the Andhra Pradesh government did not send its officials, alluding yet again to the YSR-Reddy brothers' link.
In November, Ganesh filed another case alleging the Reddy brothers' were using ten hectares of reserved forest land in the border village of Siddapuram in Andhra for mining.
The Centrally Empowered Committee on Forests inspected the land and said:
The Reddys have encroached mineral-rich areas outside mining leases
Also YSR's son Jaganmohan Reddy is their ''business partner''
In November 2009, K Rosaiah, the new Andhra Chief Minister suspended all mining leases Reddy brothers held in his state. The Reddys challenged this in the Andhra High Court and ironically won.
The Andhra Pradesh government challenged this decision in the Supreme Court and the court on March 22, directed the Survey of India to conduct a survey of the Reddy brothers' mine holdings in Andhra and file a report before April 9.
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