Karwar: Deputy Commissioner Ujwalkumar Ghosh has issued an order imposing a total fine of Rs 5.29 crore on 19 persons from Ankola taluk for indulging in Illegal laterite mining.

The development has come to light belatedly. Presently, laterite mining has been prohibited in Uttara Kannada district.

However,18 persons from Belase village in Ankola taluk indulged in illegal laterite mining. Based on a tip-off, team of Mine & Geology officials raided the area in February and submitted a report to the deputy commissioner.

Based on this report, the deputy commissioner, on March28, directed the deputy director of Mines & Geology Department to collect fine of Rs 5.29 crore and Rs 1.09 crore ' royalty from these 19 persons.

 However, the fine has not yet been collected.

Those who have been fined are: Nitish Mahadev Nayak of Belase in Ankola taluk and Timmanna Govind Nayak, Beeranna Bommayya Nayak, Harish Venkatesh Nayak, Narayan Bharma Nayak, Lakshman Beeranna Nayak, Vasudev Beeranna Gunaga, Harishchandra Venkatramana Nayak, Ramakrishna Nayak, Ganapathi Jogi Nayak, Narayan Ramakrishna Nayak, Lakshman Krishna Nayak, Jayram Thaku Nayak, Radha Ramachandra Nayak, Radha Venkatramana Nayak, Mahadev Hammanna Nayak, Bomayya Ramachandra Nayak, Siddharth Govind Nayak and Janaki Beeranna Nayak, all of Soorve village.