Panel Asks Karnataka to Probe mining in church land

Bangalore: In yet another swipe at the beleaguered BS Yeddyurappa government, the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has directed the state government to set up a joint committee to probe the complaint of Bellary Catholic Diocese that a considerable swathe of its land was used for iron ore mining by a mining company resulting in heavy losses to the church.

The joint committee, the NCM directed, should comprise the deputy commissioner of Bellary, the district police superintendent and the divisional forest officer. According to the complaint the Diocese had filed with the NCM, a company by name, Ranka International, had mined 48,000 metric tonnes of iron ore from the church property despite the diocese’s pleas and warnings against doing so. The NCM has asked the district authorities to ensure that status quo was retained till the inquiry was completed.

Meanwhile, another front appears to be opening up against the BJP government. Karnataka’s minority communities have filed 99 complaints with NCM in 2010 about property trespass, violence or loss of jobs. This is in sharp contrast to the 40-45 complaints to the NCM on an average every year from the state. In 2008-09, the number of complaints was 43.

NCM vice-chairman HT Sangliana said the 100% rise in complaints from minority communities of Karnataka was probably because of the NCM’s efforts to spread awareness about the Commission’s role in redressing complaints from minorities.
Sangliana, who was once a BJP parliamentarian from Bangalore, has fallen out with the party and is currently heading the NCM in the absence of a chairman. Recently, the Somasekhara committee report that investigated the attacks on churches two years ago, had criticised Sangliana for his partisan attitude.