Don't have belief Govt will act on report: Lokayukta

Bangalore, July 27 (PTI) Ahead of submission of his
report on illegal mining, south Indian state Karnataka
Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde Wednesday said he does not
believe the government would act on his findings.
"As I said yesterday, I don't believe the Government
will take action", Hegde, a former Indian Supreme Court judge,
told reporters.
"They (the State government) took the first (interim)
report (submitted in December 2008) but did not take action".
Lokayuukta Registrar Moosa Kunhi Nayar Moole is slated
to hand over the report to Chief Secretary S V Ranganath later
Wednesday.
The report has pegged the loss to the state exchequer
due to illegal mining between March 2009 and April 2010 at
more than Rs 1,800 crore.
Hegde, a member of Lokpal bill drafting committee,
declined to talk about contents of the report, which has
indicted Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, four Cabinet
Ministers, and former Chief Minister and JDS leader H D
Kumaraswamy, among others, and more than 500 officials,
particularly in mineral-ri Asked if he would also submit the report to the
Supreme Court, Hegde said the apex Court had not sought it.
"If asked, I will have to give it, and I will give it.
Otherwise, someone else may give it," he said.
Last week, Hegde had said the "Supreme Court is my
only hope."
He said leakage of the report does not mean it has
lost its "significance". It's just that somebody got it in
advance. "It's not (like) leak of question paper (in
examination)."
Hegde said he has mentioned in the report about
"possible threat" to Lokayukta (five) officials who were
involved in the enquiry. "And I have not said that there is
already a threat".
He said these Lokayukta officials might have
displeased a number of people (by probing into their illegal
affairs) and there is a possibility that their future could be
in jeopardy. Asked if he has a "sense of bitterness" as he leaves
office, Hegde said: "...I have a sense of bitterness when it
comes to leakage ...beyond that...no".
The report talks in detail about iron ore exports,
those engaged in it, illegalities and their value, among
others, he said.
Stressing upon the need to ban iron ore export, Hegde
said the country does not stand to gain by these shipments.
Domestic companies engaged in value addition
activities should procure ores only to the extent of their
requirement, which will give the Union government central
excise revenues and VAT to the states, he said.