Terming the current political crisis in Karnataka as a ‘sordid drama' of passing the blame,' the State Chief Minister, Mr B.S. Yeddyurappa, on Monday urged the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, to form a panel to probe the alleged telephone tapping episode related to the Lokayukta in the State.

Addressing a press conference, Mr Yeddyurappa requested the Prime Minister to form a committee to be headed by the Union Minister, Mr S.M. Krishna, former Prime Minister, Mr H.D. Deve Gowda, and the Karnataka Lokayukta, Mr Santosh Hegde.

The Chief Minister, to clear his stand in the State and party, has also written a letter to the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) President, Mr Nitin Gadkari, to probe donations received by Prerana Educational Trust and the land sale in Bangalore belonging to his family members to South West Mining Company.

Mr Yeddyurappa has requested the BJP President to form a panel headed by senior party leaders Mr Venkaiah Naidu, Mr Ananth Kumar and Mr Dharmendra Pradhan.

Defending his decision for initiating the probe, Mr Yeddyurappa said “Such a committee or panel will ensure high degree of transparency to the enquiry as it will have representatives from all the Opposition parties in Karnataka.”

Mining issue

Raising the mining the issue, on which the Karnataka Lokayukta, Mr Santosh Hegde, is likely to submit a report in two days, Mr Yeddyurappa said “Iron ore and granite mining have been going on unabated in the State from the last two decade. Every body knows that the mining lords became stronger and assertive during the Congress and JD(S) Governments.”

Claiming to have saved the State resources, Mr Yeddyurappa said “Our government implemented new mining policy in the first-three months of assuming power in 2008. Under this policy, only mining for value addition was allowed. The government also took revolutionary decision on July 28, 2010 to impose ban on export of iron ore.”

“The State Government also took up the issue of revision of royalty on minerals in 2007. But the Central Government had not take action in this regard. As a result of our Government's continuous efforts, the royalty was revised on August 13, 2009. There after, the collection of royalty has increased considerably in our State,” he added.

Giving details on royalty collection in the State, Mr Yeddyurappa said “In the year 2008-09, the royalty collection stood at Rs 556 crore. Following the revision in the rate of royalty, the collection went up to Rs 847.39 crore in 2009-10 and due to export ban there was dip at Rs 755 crore in 2010-11.”

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