The process of re-identification of the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh inter-state boundaries that were destroyed by alleged rampant illegal mining in Ballari reserve forest will begin on Friday.
The boundary-marking will take place as per the Supreme Court orders, said the officials. A team of experts from Survey of India will arrive in
Ballari to take up the work.
The experts will be accompanied by a team of senior officials from The Revenue Departments of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, the officials said. The inter-state boundary markers crossing the Ballari reserve forest are missing.
Many of the border markers in the villages of Tumati, Vithalapur, Malappanagudi, and Siddapur villages have been destroyed.
Justice N Santosh Hegde, former Lokayukta, who had investigated the illegal mining case, had confirmed the destruction of the boundary marking in his report on such mining.
Many social and political activists had approached the Supreme Court to investigate the destruction of the boundary markers.
The petitioners had argued that the illegal mining probe at the border won’t be completed without restoring the inter-state boundary markers. Following this, the Supreme Court had ordered the Survey of India to mark the inter-state boundary.
For two years, the officials of the Survey of India, along with officials from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, had conducted surveys several times to ascertain the exact location of the border.
In October 2008, the opposition leader of the Vidarbha Parishad, VS. The UGRPA-led fact-finding committee had visited the interstate border area and inspected the site. Releasing a fact-finding report in November, the committee revealed that the OMC mine owned by Janardhan Reddy had destroyed the mine markings and also destroyed the historic temple of Sugagalamma Devi, located on the border of the state.
At the same time, the then Lokayukta N. The first report on illegal mining was issued by Santosh Hegde. Senior IFS Officer Singh, in his report, was sceptical of the interstate borders. Hegde had recommended that “the case be investigated with the co-operation of both the central and state governments as the two states are involved.”
According to the sources, a report would be submitted to the Supreme Court on Friday.