5 days ago
Illegal sand mining in Perur taluk: Coimbatore district collector issues show-cause notices to 40 revenue officials
Coimbatore: Coimbatore district collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar has issued show-cause notices to 40 former and present revenue department officials for their alleged failure to prevent illegal sand mining in Perur taluk from 2019 to 2025.
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The district collector told TOI that the officials were asked to provide their written replies. Further action would be taken after receiving their replies, he said.
Sources indicated that the show-cause notices were issued against four tahsildars, 22 village administrative officers (VAOs) and some deputy tahsildars and revenue inspectors. The show-cause notices were issued under Section 17(a) of the Tamil Nadu Civil Service (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, which pertains to grave irregularities, misconduct, negligence and other offences.
'Illegal sand mining has been happening in Perur taluk jurisdiction for more than a decade. But the district collector issued charges against 40 revenue department officials -- who were either earlier working or presently working in Perur taluk -- by citing that they failed to prevent illegal sand mining in the taluk from 2019 to 2025. Many straightforward revenue department officials also received show-cause notices under 17(a) from the district collector.
It would affect their careers,' said an official from the revenue department.
Revenue department officials accused senior officials of directing them not to take action against people engaged in illegal sand mining in Perur taluk. The officials demanded that action be taken against the senior officials. They criticised the district administration for charging the field officials.
In January, the
directed the police to form a special investigation team (SIT) to probe illegal sand mining in Thadagam Valley and Perur taluk.
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In September 2024, a panel constituted by the high court inspected the Perur and Thondamuthur blocks within Perur taluk to examine illegal excavation of red earth and gravel. G Narayanan, chairman of the Permanent Lok Adalat, and K Ramesh, sub-judge of the District Legal Service Authority, led the panel along with former Coimbatore district collector Kranthi Kumar Pati, district superintendent of police K Karthikeyan, district forest officer N Jayaraj and officials from the geology and mining departments.
The panel submitted its report to the high court, confirming that illegal excavation of red earth occurred in the district. Following the report, the present district collector issued show-cause notices to the 40 officials.
A CB-CID (SIT) team is investigating illegal red earth and sand mining in the district.
