This must be the scariest time to exist for all those granite traders in the Karimnagar district. Ever since the CBI entered into the scene, the picture of granite smuggling has become the topic of the day on media. The CBI has agreed to conduct a full-fledged inquiry into the granite irregularities in the district based on a complaint lodged earlier by senior BJP leader Para Shekhar Rao. The information was received by the Vizag branch from the CBI headquarters in Delhi.
A full-fledged interrogation on the activities in Karimnagar is about to be conducted by both the CBI and the ED. The officers of the CBI Visakhapatnam unit are collaborating with the relevant officials to root out the irregularities in the system and filter out the smugglers. It is believed that the Karimnagar granite was exported to other countries illicitly from Kakinada port. Authorities conducting a search of the Kakinada port in 2011 found that granite was being exported illegally.
Officials who issued notices to several companies on illegal exports also bashed them with heavy fines. BJP leader Shekhar Rao had in his complaint said that mining companies were fined Rs 750 crore back in those times.
His complaint came out as a shock to all the locals. Having his complaint as a base, the CBI along with ED stepped into the field carrying out an investigation into tax evasion, money laundering, illegal mining, smuggling, and exports.