But, in undisputed area of border; to seek legal help to recover encroachments in its leasehold area
With the Supreme Court allowing the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) to resume iron ore mining in the undisputed areas of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka border, the OMC said it would resume mining operations from today.
G Janardhana Reddy, the owner of OMC and also Karnataka minister for infrastructure, said, “Now the truth has come out through the Supreme Court’s interim order and it’s proved that we have not encroached a single inch of land. It is also proved that other mining companies have encroached our leased land. And we will take legal action to recover our land.”
He lashed out at his business and political rivals for carrying false propaganda against him and his brother, Karunakar Reddy, who is a minister for revenue in the state government.
He, however, refused to give details of the estimated losses to the company due to the suspension of mining in the last few months. “I have no liability or any loan. Our profits have reduced, but we are not in loss,” Reddy told reporters, here today.
On Monday, the Supreme Court allowed the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC), owned by the Reddy brothers, to resume mining in the undisputed areas in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district bordering Karnataka. A bench, comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices Deepak Verma and B S Chauhan, said the Reddy brothers could carry out mining 150 metres from the inter-state border of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Reddy accused Rahul Baldota, owner of MSPL in his home district of Bellary, whom he termed as “mines Veerappan” of being behind the “propaganda” against him and his brother, and of funding ‘jobless’ politicians to carry on the campaign against them.
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In this context, he particularly named former Prime Minister and JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda, Congress leader Siddaramaiah and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu for targetting him.
He said “jobless politicians” blamed him and his brothers without basis and out of “sheer jealousy”.
Asked if the Supreme Court’s interim order is a “slap” on the face of Andhra Pradesh government, he said “definitely”. “All of you know that the present Government of Andhra Pradesh has illegally stopped our mining operations,” he said.
The survey report of the Composite Survey Committee of the Supreme Court of India clearly and completely vindicated us from false allegations. It can be seen from the composite survey report that OMC and Anantapur Mining Corporation are in physical occupation of the 138.2 hectares against the granted area of 140.48 hectares. This clearly establishes that OMC and Anantapur Mining Corporation are not in possession, occupation or enjoyment of any area over and above the areas mentioned in the registered lease deeds, he said.
In fact, there are as many as nine reports of different authorities of state and central government confirming that there are no encroachments and illegal mining by our mining company.
OMC is not conducting any illegal mining activities outside its leasehold area and not encroached into any forest land or encroached into any neighbours’ lease hold areas. “It can be seen from annexure-13 of the Composite Survey Report that it is only our neighbours, i.e. Y M & Sons and BIOP have encroached into our leasehold area and we are the sufferers of trespass and encroachment by our neighbouring lessees and not the other way round as is being falsely projected all along,” Reddy said.
He said he would take legal action to recover the encroached land from leasehold area in the due course of time.