The Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which was constituted by the Supreme Court, is expected to submit a detailed report on illegal mining activities in Karnataka in the second or third week of April.
The CEC will submit its report only after getting feed back from the state government over various questions raised on illegal mining and action taken by the concerned department authorities as required by the apex court.
The five-member committee headed by P V Jayakrishna visited several mines in Bellary district and held public hearings in two places in the district over the weekend.
The committee examined illegal mining activities in the forest areas, mining beyond leased land and flouting of environment, forest rules issues and collected maximum information from officials and locals during their three-day visit that concluded on Monday. The committee reportedly found several irregularities by mining companies in Bellary region.
The committee has also held closed door discussions with the state government officials including chief secretary S V Ranganath. The committee members have reportedly questioned the chief secretary and other officials for lapses in controlling illegal mining activities in the state.
According to secretariat sources, the CEC has asked the government to provide replies for the 14-point, 9-page questionnaire on illegal mining in Karnataka.