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India cuts troubling mining probe short
http://atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/SOU-01-241013.htmlIndia cuts troubling mining probe short
Oct 24, '13
By Ed McKenna
NEW DELHI - A nationwide enquiry into illegal mining in India was aborted before it completed its investigation into the failings of the country's mining industry. The study had prompted the government to ban mining in two states and arrest high-ranking politicians.
The government's October 16 decision to terminate the enquiry is a worrying indicator of its commitment to ending corruption and malpractice in the mining sector, says Vijay Pratap, convener of the think tank South Asian Dialogues on Ecological Democracy.
"Our government has been overwhelmed by the corporate power of mining companies. The government had to stop this enquiry because too many uncomfortable truths were being revealed about the nexus between politics and companies," he told IPS.
The commission, headed by Justice M B Shah, was appointed in November 2010 to investigate illegal iron ore and manganese mining practices and track the financial records of transactions in the mining industry between 2006 and 2010.
