ANDHRA Pradesh chief minister K. Rosaiah on Sunday said he would follow the Supreme Court directions regarding suspension of mining in the Obulapuram mines in Anantapur district. The apex court-appointed central empowered committee had earlier suggested that the mines be closed. Rosaiah told mediapersons in Hyderabad that the committee had submitted its report to the Supreme Court and not to the state government. “We will abide by whatever direction the apex court would give us,” he added. In its report, the committee pointed out that there were “prima facie” evidence of violation of forest conservation
rules and illegal mining by erasing the inter-state boundaries.

It also recommended all mining activities in Obulapuram be suspended till an independent panel fixes the boundaries of the mining area again. The panel indicted the Andhra Pradesh government for trying to cover up illegal mining in the forest areas outside the approved mining leases. It has already been reported about the alleged shifting of the Andhra-Karnataka boundary in the Obulapuram mines, promoted by Karnataka tourism minister Gali Janardhan Reddy and his brothers, better known as the Reddy brothers. The brothers challenged the jurisdiction of the committee. “It is clear from the report that the committee has not dealt with any issues relating to environment. The boundary dispute between two private companies should not be of any concern to the committee,” Obulapuram Mining Corporation (OMC) managing director B.V. Srinivas Reddy said. “The copy of the recommendations was not given to the OMC counsel in the Supreme Court. The recommendations of the committee, unless and until approved by the Supreme Court, continue to be the views of the committee and cannot be called a Supreme Court order,” Reddy said.