01-05-2025
Two stone quarries in Tiruppur to be penalised for mining beyond limit
TIRUPPUR: The district collector has ordered the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) of Tiruppur to impose fines on two stone quarries in Kodangipalayam for mining beyond the permitted limits, thus violating norms.
A taluk-level task force inspection revealed that both quarries had mined minerals beyond the permitted limit. In particular, Power Readymix, one of the private quarries, has mined 2.81 lakh cubic metre of stone illegally.
Sources said District Collector T Christuraj received a complaint from farmers that minerals were being mined illegally by two private quarries, named Power Readymix and SA Ganesan, in Kodangipalayam village in the Palladam taluk of Tiruppur district, beyond the permitted limit. Based on the complaint, the collector ordered the taluk-level Task Force to inspect the said quarries and that was done at the end of March.
The inspection revealed that 2.81 lakh cubic metre of stones and 36,634 cubic metre of gravel had been mined in the Power Readymix quarry, more than the amount permitted by the government. Further, it was also revealed that 7,434 cubic metre of gravel had been mined in SA Ganesan quarry, exceeding the permitted limit.
After the Palladam tahsildar submitted a report to the District Collector, the latter ordered the RDO to impose appropriate fines against the two quarries.
T Christuraj, in his order, dated April 29, said, "Appropriate penalty action should be taken against the two quarry owners who mined minerals in excess of the permitted amount as per Rule 36-A of the Tamil Nadu Minor Minerals Concession Rules, 1959, and GO (Ms).No.170 Industries (MMC-2) Department dated: 05.08.2020. And a report regarding this should be sent."
The farmers postponed the protest they had already announced in view of the collector's order.
R Sathish Kumar, State Secretary of the Legal Awareness Wing of Tamil Nadu Farmers Protection Association, said, "The licence period for these quarries expired in 2016. But even after that they had been operating and mining minerals illegally. We had planned to protest in front of the RDO office on April 30, demanding action against both quarries. We have now postponed the protest due to the order served against the both quarries by the collector. On the order of the collector, a fine should be imposed on both quarries immediately. In addition, the government should take action against all quarries operating illegally."
TNIE tried to contact Tiruppur RDO Mohanasundaram in this regard, but the call didn't go through.
