KARIMNAGAR: It seems the empire of former Karnataka minister and mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy is not restricted to the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, but was spread across Karimnagar district as well. Janardhana Reddy’s mining activities in the district came to light following his arrest in connection with illegal mining.Karimnagar is popular for international quality of granite which is abundantly available across the district and the industry has a turnover of about Rs 400 crore. While there is no record of Janardhana Reddy’s direct links with the granite industry, he reportedly acquired granite quarries in the name of others and took up mining activities. His close aides including Karnataka former minister Sriramulu, have applied for mining granite quarries in Karimnagar over the past few years. However, their activities subsided after 2008 due to unknown reasons. One such application of Sriramulu is still pending with the Mines Department for over three years for an NOC from the Forest Department to lease out a granite hillock to Sriramulu in survey number 328 at Deekonda in Pegadapalli mandal. While the hillock is spread over 1,234 acres, Sriramulu applied for 60 acres.Mines and geology assistant director K Laxman Babu said, the mining lease was kept on hold as the Forest Department did not give clearance, while forest authorities said the Revenue Department should issue the required NOC as the land belonged to them. Enquires revealed that Sriramulu and associates of Janardhana Reddy had acquired granite quarries on lease in Racharla village in Pegadapalli mandal.
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