Hyderabad: CBI, probing alleged illegal
mining and irregularities in allotment of mining leases to
Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC), on Saturday questioned a senior
lady IAS officer in connection with the scam after conducting
a raid at her house.
A CBI team, led by Superintendent of Police H Venkatesh,
quizzed Y Srilakshmi, Commissioner (Health) after a search at
her residence in S R Nagar here, officials said.
However, they declined to give details.
The central agency has found alleged irregularities in
certain leases given to OMC between 2005 and 2009 when
Srilakshmi was the Secretary of Andhra Pradesh Industries
Department.
CBI is seeking to gather information on the alleged
conspiracy by some government officials involved in granting
leases to OMC.
The mining company is accused of changing mining lease
boundary markings between Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and
indulging in "illegal" mining in the Bellary Reserve Forest
area spread between Bellary district of Karnataka and
Anantpur district of Andhra Pradesh.
CBI had registered a case against the company on December
7, 2009, at the request of Andhra Pradesh government,
following allegations of illegal mining and irregularities in
the allotment of mining leases to OMC in Obulapuram and
Malpanagudi villages of Anantapur district in the state.
CBI officials had last month examined a former Director
of Mines and Geology (Andhra Pradesh) V D Rajagopal in
connection with the case.
On September 5, CBI had arrested former Karnataka
Tourism Minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, who owns the mine and
OMC Managing Director B Srinivas Reddy in connection with the
scam. The duo are now lodged in Chanchalguda Central Prison
here and will remain in judicial custody till October 17.
PTI
