Are church blasts linked with granite lobby ?

By Our Staff Correspondent

RAICHUR, JULY 30. Is there any link between the large-scale use of hard blasting material in granite quarries on the borders of Raichur, Koppal and Bagalkot districts and the blasting material used in the recent serial church blasts in Wadi, Hubli and Bangalore? The issue is being investigated by the Corps of Detectives (CoD).

It is suspected that the blasting materials used in most granite quarries in Adapur, Makapur, Kalamalli, Kadur, Hanterkhana, Balkundi and Sebinkatti in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region are said to be similar to those used in attacks on various churches in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Goa. The CoD has not yet disclosed this as it is looking for sufficient proof to validate the claim.

The Deendar Channabasaveshwara Siddique, whose members are accused of involving in church blasts, had its origins in Hyderabad. It has branches and many followers in the Hyderabad- Karnataka region including the places around the granite quarries in Raichur, Koppal and Bagalkot districts. It is suspected that blasting material is being transported from such villages where it is stored on a large scale illegally.

Police sources have confirmed that large quantities of explosive material are stored illegally in many houses in the villages near granite quarries. Although very few villagers possess licence to store such material, the authorities have failed to verify the licences and take into account the quantity of explosive material stored under licence. On the other hand, no one has stopped the illegal handling and transportation of explosive material even when there are reports that many villagers have stored large quantities of such material illegally.

The authorities in the Departments of Mines and Geology, Revenue and Police have not imposed counter checks either the permits issued to villagers to stock the material or to monitor the movement of explosive material.

According to experts, different kinds of granite deposits have been identified in more than 1,000 square miles in this region. Recently, a joint legislative committee assessed that rare varieties of granite was present in the borders of Raichur, Koppal and Bagalkot districts. The quarrying agents, many of whom indulge in illegal quarrying, require a huge stock of blasting material and that can be procured from the surrounding villages. Going by these facts, One can only guess how much blasting material is actually being stored in this region.

Officials from the Department of Mines and Geology confirmed that they recently issued licences to some people to quarry in survey no.76/77 in Adapur village near Mudgal in Lingsugur taluk, and another in survey no.51/2 in Makapur village. But, they have not issued a licence for quarrying in survey no.62/1 in Adapur and in survey no:1/2 and 1/3 in Makapur, where quarrying is still being done by some "influential" persons.

There is a tussle between the quarry owner and the villagers in Makapur, 23 km from Mudgal town, over unlicenced quarrying (survey no.1/2) within the village itself. The blasting activities in the quarry have threatened the lives of the villagers as also some historical temples. Quarrying has affected the structure of a Hanuman Temple (known as Bande Ranganatha) near the quarry, and the villagers have stoutly opposed this. But so far, no one has come to their rescue.

Recently, the Mudgal police registered 11 cases of illegal quarrying in this region after which many influential persons managed to obtain bail. However, quarrying is continuing with the help of illegal stocks of blasting materials. The officials in the Mines and Geology Department and those in the district administration have not checked the illegal storage of blasting material, and quarrying and transportation of valuable granite blocks from this region.

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