The BJP leader of Balkonda constituency, Mallikarjun Reddy, has accused Geo Stone Industries of illegal quarrying in Battapur village without environmental permits for the past seven months. The company was only given permission to extract 10,000 cubic meters, but Reddy claims that over 12 lakh cubic meters have been excavated and transported for commercial purposes. He also alleges that heavy vehicles are being used to transport cargo from the quarry to the open market, and a gravel road was laid in reserve forest in violation of the rules. Reddy questions whether Minister Prashant Reddy was involved in this quarry scam and highlights that the quarry is not paying current electricity bills up to 50 lakh. A complaint was made to the Director of Mines Department in Hyderabad six months ago, and Reddy demands that the District Collector conduct a survey to find out the facts, or else large-scale agitations will be launched under the leadership of the BJP.
