Bangalore:
Mining in Bellary is once again coming into focus - rampant illegal mining in this Karnataka district had resulted in hundreds of crores of revenue going into the wrong hands in recent years.
Now, it is environment minister Jairam Ramesh who has turned his attention to the area - concerned over encroachment of forest land.
"There is simply no question of allowing something that is bad under the Forest Conservation Act," said Jairam Ramesh, Environment Minister.
However, the Karnataka state government seems offended by Ramesh's stand.
In a letter to the minister, Karnataka's chief minister B S Yeddyurappa said: "You being a new incumbent in the Central Ministry of Environment and Forests might not have been briefed by your officers or by the state government officers on the steps initiated by the state government."
Yeddyurappa might possibly be concerned on behalf of the powerful Reddy brothers of the BJP - who have made their millions from mining in Andhra Pradesh. They themselves claim not to be bothered.
"God is great. He has blessed us in a very big way in a way we cannot express. We have risen to that position. We do not need to misuse, influence or doing something wrong ... no need at all," said Janardhan Reddy, Tourism Minister & Mine Owner.
As it seems, that iron ore mining is generating as much controversy as revenue.