Siddaramaiah's Advisor Basavaraj Rayareddy Clash With District Officials In Sand Mafia Row

Last Updated:October 21, 2025, 12:25 IST

The Economic Advisor’s letter specifically demanded immediate transfers of officials allegedly involved.

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah. (Image: PTI/File)

Tensions escalated in Karnataka’s Koppal between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s Chief Economic Advisor Basavaraj Rayareddy and the district administrative officers over allegations of illegal sand and gravel mining.

Earlier, Rayareddy had written a letter to the Chief Minister demanding urgent and strict action against corrupt officials allegedly involved in large-scale illegal sand extraction.

The letter highlights rampant illegal sand mining along over 85 kilometres of the Tungabhadra riverbank, with 100 to 150 truckloads of sand and gravel reportedly transported daily to Gadag, Ballari, Hubballi, Dharwad, Chitradurga, and Bengaluru.

Public allegations suggest that several Mines and Geology Department officials and other local staff are colluding with over 200 sand mafia members, causing significant revenue loss for the state.

The Economic Advisor’s letter specifically demanded immediate transfers of officials allegedly involved, including Senior Geologist Pushpalatha S Kavalur, Geologists Sanith C, Nagaraju E, Syed Fazil, Assistant Engineer Naveen Kumar, Supervisor Mallikarjun Kammar, Junior Engineer Samprita Hiremath, and others.

It also stressed that media coverage of the corruption had embarrassed the government, and urged the Chief Minister to constitute a special task force under the district commissioner to immediately halt illegal activities and restore public trust.

Siddaramaiah’s Economic Advisor Faces 20-Point Letter

In response, the district officer cadre issued a counter-letter containing 20 pointed questions challenging Rayareddy.

The letter seeks answers regarding alleged interference in officers’ work, misuse of capital funds in Bengaluru, payments for timber used on the Kukkanur bypass road, potential losses to government revenue from sand mining, and accusations of arrogance towards junior officials.

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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d...

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