The Department of Mines and Geology has ordered the suspension of laterite stone mining on Revenue Department land in Survey No. 285 of Belagundi village in Belagavi taluka, following directions from its Secretary and Director in Bengaluru.
According to the Deputy Director, a technical team inspected the site on April 17 and found that mining activities were being carried out on government land. Based on these findings, and pending a detailed report from the headquarters and further inquiry, operations in Survey No. 285 have been halted.
Official records indicate that 223.1 acres across 13 survey numbers, including Survey No. 285, were leased to Belagavi Minerals in December 2003 for 20 years. The lease was later transferred to Malini Resources in 2023 and extended retrospectively to 50 years in 2024.
However, 13.39 acres of government land within Survey No. 285, though included in the approved mining plan, does not have a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Revenue Department, raising questions over the legality of mining in this portion.
The issue gained attention after social activists Rajkumar Topannavar and Sujit Mulgund flagged alleged illegal mining in the area. They have accused officials of colluding with private firms, leading to losses to the state exchequer. The activists also alleged that illegally mined laterite is being transported from Karnataka to Gujarat via Maharashtra and have demanded a CBI probe into the matter.