New court likely to deal with illegal mining cases in Karnataka
The panel's 35-page report, containing 12 recommendations, was recently placed before chief minister Siddaramaiah.
The committee was constituted on July 5 following a cabinet decision taken earlier that month to examine irregularities in mining and suggest corrective measures. Apart from Patil, it included home minister G Parameshwara, food minister KH Muniyappa, social welfare minister HC Mahadevappa, forest minister Eeshwar Khandre, and mines and geology Minister SS Mallikarjuna.
According to officers aware of the developments, the proposed recovery authority will be empowered to recover 'crores of rupees lost by the state exchequer due to illegal mining.' They added that a draft bill has already been prepared jointly by the Commerce and Industry Department, the Parliamentary Affairs Department and the Law Department. 'The draft legislation has been submitted along with the committee's report for the cabinet's consideration,' an officer said.
Currently, illegal mining cases are tried in existing magistrate and sessions courts, which also hear matters under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the Control of Corruption Act, and cases pursued by the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Lokayukta. This, officials said, leads to delays in handling mining-related offences. 'The SIT has filed only a limited number of illegal mining cases in Bengaluru courts, but these involve very high financial stakes for the government. A dedicated court will allow faster recovery,' one official explained.
The report also recommended forming specialised legal teams to handle mining cases both in Bengaluru and in New Delhi courts. 'Without legal officers who have expertise in mining, cases risk dragging on. The committee has suggested two such teams under the SIT,' said another officer.
Beyond judicial measures, the report calls for accountability among officials and private actors. It states that government employees, intermediaries and individuals who aided illegal mining should face action, as highlighted in Lokayukta findings. To ensure follow-through, the committee has suggested forming a monitoring panel to coordinate between departments and ensure that SIT cases are vigorously defended in court.
The recommendations are now with the chief minister, and a final decision will be taken by the cabinet. 'Once the cabinet clears the proposals, Karnataka will have a new legal framework to recover losses from illegal mining and expedite pending cases,' an officer added.
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