The State Cabinet on Thursday felt the investigation into 172 illegal mining cases by the Special Investigation Team of the Karnataka Lokayukta has been very slow for the past five years and decided to extended the term of the SIT till June 20, 2024.
Briefing on the decisions taken at a Cabinet meeting presided by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil said the SIT had not even conducted a primary investigation in many of the illegal mining cases registered during the last few years and the progress of the probe was moving at a snail’s pace.
The cases were related to transportation and export of iron from ports of New Mangaluru, Karwar, Goa, and Chennai. The investigation into 10 criminal cases related to illegal mining was also slow. The lack of administrative and political will for the past five years delayed the completion of probe into illegal mining cases, he said.
