Latest news with #TamilNaduMinorMineralsConcessionRules
New Indian Express
26-05-2025
- New Indian Express
Madras High Court slams ex-Geology chief for illegal revival of mining licence
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has severely criticised an IAS officer, who had served as Commissioner of Geology and Mining, for issuing a 'completely fraudulent, aberrational and unconscionably illegal' order to revoke the temporary suspension of quarrying licence of a lease holder in Tiruppur district, who was slapped with a meagre penalty of Rs 10.40 crore for illegal mining, without following due legal procedures. The officer, J Jayakanthan, is currently serving as secretary of water resources department. He had, in his capacity as Commissioner of Geology and Mining in 2022, revoked the suspension of licence and permitted lease holder R Ramakrishnan to resume mining operations by paying an initial fine of Rs 30 lakh and the remaining amount in instalments. Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy, in a recent judgment, remarked, 'In any event, the order of the second respondent is completely fraudulent, aberrational and unconscionably illegal and it is an affront to the environment as well as to the entire set of judgments of the Supreme Court of India on the matter. This course of action is taken to defraud the government of a significant sum of money, certainly more than Rs 78 crore.' The orders were passed on a petition filed by Ramakrishnan praying for quashing the December 6, 2024 GO issued by the secretary of natural resources department to set aside the GO issued by Jayakanthan dated September 26, 2022. Ramakrishnan was found to have illegally mined 39,405 cubic metres of topsoil and weathered rock, 25 times more than the permitted level of 1,575 cbms. The illegal mining of rough stones accounts for 3, 21, 811 cbms. He was also found to have committed similar offences in another quarry for which the licence had already expired. The respondents, including P Vijayakumar, an affected farmer and R Sathish Kumar, of Tamilaga Vivasayigal Pathukappu Sangam, submitted that the total fine for the illegal minerals would work out to a minimum of Rs 84 crore and maximum of Rs 180 crore. However, the then commissioner had let the lease holder off by slapping a meagre Rs 10.40 crore by flouting the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Minor Minerals Concession Rules and the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, they submitted. Refusing to quash the order of the secretary of the natural resources department, the judge directed the jurisdictional sub-collector to file a private complaint initiating prosecution (criminal action) against the accused persons for committing the violations. He directed the secretary of natural resources department to issue notice to the lease holder over premature termination of the existing lease agreement and for recovery of the value of the minerals with appropriate penalty for seigniorage fee.
New Indian Express
01-05-2025
- New Indian Express
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.
The Hindu
21-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Akin to TASMAC, quarry mining should be made public entity, say activists
Demanding that the State government make stone quarries public entity, activists submitted a petition with Collector M.S. Sangeetha here on Monday. As natural resources such as stone, sand and granite should be preserved and safeguarded from being overused, several governments across the world were imposing rigid restrictions on mining projects, said Selvaraj, a social activist based in Madurai. 'In Tamil Nadu, though several previous governments and the present government have tried to curb over mining of resources, the rules are being flouted due to political influences,' he added. When the government was unable to control private players who exploited the resources, why should it not make quarrying a public entity, he said. Akin to TASMAC, if mining was controlled by the government, the State could earn revenue and also control the exploitation of natural resources. Similar to what the Tamil Nadu government did from 2018 to 2022, a Government Order should be issued again to procure 15 lakh tonnes of natural river sand from foreign countries, said Mugilan, an environmental activist. 'When the need for sand is fulfilled through imports, the rampant illegal sand mining can be controlled,' he added. Again, similar to how the Andhra Pradesh and Kerala governments had implemented a digital system to measure minerals quarried from the sites, the Tamil Nadu government should also be tough in implementing digital billing in the State, Mr. Mugilan said. 'As handwritten receipts measured in cubic metres are used by the quarry owners for forging, it has caused a huge loss to the government exchequer,' he observed. Without heeding to the quarry operators' protests, the digital billing system should be immediately introduced. To control illegal mining and overuse of the quarries, the government should also take a survey of the closed quarries using drones. Those identified to be operating beyond their licence period should be punished according to the Tamil Nadu Minor Minerals Concession Rules, 1959. Further, he asked for installation of CCTVs around stone quarries. As installation of CCTVs around sand quarries had been mandated by the High Court, setting of cameras around stone quarries should also be mandated.
