Tamil Nadu govt suspends sand mining in Tuticorin, orders probe
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Government on Friday ordered suspension of sand mining in Tuticorin district and formed a Special Team to probe into the issue in the backdrop of reports of illegal mining activities surfacing there.
A special team headed by Revenue Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi and officials from Environment and Forests, Geology and Mining departments has been formed to inspect the mining activities as per the Section 24 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 an official release said.
"The Commissioner of Geology and Mining has recommended that till the completion of the inspection by the Special Team, mining operations in respect of those leases may be directed to be stopped to facilitate inspections", it said.
Tuticorin District Collector would issue proceedings directing all the lessees of minerals--garnet, ilmenite and rutile in the district to "stop" the mining operations pending completion of the inspections by the Special Team.
"The Special Team is directed to complete the inspections expeditiously and submit the report to the Government within a month", the release said.
The Government action comes days after the transfer of Tuticorin District Collector Ashish Kumar after he cracked down on illegal sand mining in the area. However, the official himself termed his transfer as a "government's decision" and refused to comment
Probe on illicit mining following transferred Collector’s report
Special CorrespondentActing on a report from Tuticorin Collector Ashish Kumar, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has ordered a probe by a special team into illicit mining in six lease areas, and called a halt to mining of garnet, ilmenite and rutile in the district.
An order to this effect was issued by the Industries Department on Thursday, two days after Mr. Kumar, who inspected the mining sites and was transferred the same day, reported large-scale illicit beach sand mining by various lessees.
Revenue Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi will head the special team to verify whether there was illicit mining in the six lease areas of major minerals in Tuticorin district.
Report
It will submit its report to the government in a month. The team will comprise officers from the Departments of Revenue, Environment and Forests and Geology and Mining.
The Collector should issue proceedings directing all lessees of garnet, ilmenite and rutile to stop mining operations until the inspections are over. To facilitate the probe, the Assistant Director (Mines) was directed to stop giving transport permits to the six lessees.
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/probe-on-illicit-mining-following-transferred-collectors-report/article5008314.ece
Tamil Nadu govt sets up SIT to probe illegal mining in Tuticorin district
Julie Mariappan, TNN | Aug 9, 2013, 02.48 PM IST
CHENNAI: Amid allegations of illegal beach sand mining in Tuticorin district, the Tamil Nadugovernment on Thursday constituted a special investigation team led by senior bureaucratGagandeep Singh Bedi to probe into the charges against six contractors.
The team, comprising representatives of the departments of revenue, environment, forests geology and mining, will look into illegal miningof minerals — garnet, ilmenite and rutile — in the district.
"The special team is directed to complete the inspections expeditiously and submit its report to the government within a month," the order said.
The order comes days after the controversial transfer of Tuticorin district collector Ashish Kumar. The bureaucrat, who undertook inspections of some of the leased areas of mining and minerals, had alleged large-scale illicit beach sand mining in the district.
The state government removed the district collector the day he conducted raids on the sites, including that of VV Mineral, owned by highly influential mineral exporter V Vaikundarajan. The collector's removal triggered widespread protest from various quarters.
Kumar reported to the government that detailed field inspections be undertaken by special team consisting of officials from the departments of revenue, police, environment and forests, and geology and mining to probe the illegal mining of beach minerals by lessees.
Upon receiving recommendations from the commissioner for geology and mining on Friday, the government directed Tuticorin district collector M Ravikumar, who assumed charge on Thursday, to direct all lessees of minerals in the district to stop the mining operations pending completion of the inspections by the special team. The assistant director (mines), Tuticorin, is directed to stop issuing transport permits to the six lessees till the inspections are completed.
The team, comprising representatives of the departments of revenue, environment, forests geology and mining, will look into illegal miningof minerals — garnet, ilmenite and rutile — in the district.
"The special team is directed to complete the inspections expeditiously and submit its report to the government within a month," the order said.
The order comes days after the controversial transfer of Tuticorin district collector Ashish Kumar. The bureaucrat, who undertook inspections of some of the leased areas of mining and minerals, had alleged large-scale illicit beach sand mining in the district.
The state government removed the district collector the day he conducted raids on the sites, including that of VV Mineral, owned by highly influential mineral exporter V Vaikundarajan. The collector's removal triggered widespread protest from various quarters.
Kumar reported to the government that detailed field inspections be undertaken by special team consisting of officials from the departments of revenue, police, environment and forests, and geology and mining to probe the illegal mining of beach minerals by lessees.
Upon receiving recommendations from the commissioner for geology and mining on Friday, the government directed Tuticorin district collector M Ravikumar, who assumed charge on Thursday, to direct all lessees of minerals in the district to stop the mining operations pending completion of the inspections by the special team. The assistant director (mines), Tuticorin, is directed to stop issuing transport permits to the six lessees till the inspections are completed.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Tamil-Nadu-govt-sets-up-SIT-to-probe-illegal-mining-in-Tuticorin-district/articleshow/21726094.cms
HON'BLE CHIEF MINISTER ORDERED TO FORM A SPECIAL TEAM TO VERIFY THE ILLICIT MINING IN THOOTHUKUDI DISTRICT - 09.08.2013 - PR NO 437
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ABSTRACT
Mines and Minerals – Mining Lease – Garnet, Ilmenite and Rutile – Thoothukudi District – Formation of Special Team to inspect all the six lease areas of major minerals in Thoothukudi District – Orders – Issued.
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Industries (MMD.1) Department
G.O.(Ms).No.156 Dated: 8.8.2013
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1. From the Commissioner of Geology & Mining letter dated 8.8.2013 addressed to the Principal Secretary, Industries Department.
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ORDER:
The Commissioner of Geology & Mining in his letter first read above has informed that a report dated 6.8.2013 was received from the District Collector, Thoothukudi district informing that inspections of some of the leased areas for mining and minerals - Garnet, Ilmenite and Rutile in the district were undertaken and that instances of large scale illicit beach sand mining has been detected in respect of some of the mining leases granted in Thoothukudi district. The District Collector has also reported that detailed field inspections may be undertaken by Special Team consisting of the departments of Revenue, Police, Environment and Forests, Geology & Mining in connection with the illicit mining of beach minerals by various lessees.
The Commissioner, Geology & Mining has recommended that in view of the report of the District Collector, a Special Team may be formed by the Government consisting of officers from the departments of Revenue, Environment and Forests and Geology & Mining to inspect the mining in all the leased areas of Garnet, Ilmenite and Rutile in Thoothukudi District as per section 24 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. The Commissioner of Geology & Mining has recommended that till the completion of the inspection by the Special Team, mining operations in respect of these leases may be directed to be stopped to facilitate inspections. The Commissioner of Geology & Mining has also recommended that the Assistant Director (Mines), Thoothukudi may be directed to stop forthwith the issuance of permits to transport the minerals.
The Government after careful examination of the report and recommendation of the Commissioner of Geology & Mining directs as follows:
· A Special Team will be formed, headed by Thiru Gagandeep Singh Bedi, IAS, Secretary, Revenue Department to inspect and verify in terms of Section 24 of Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation)Act, 1957, whether there is illicit mining by the 6 lessees of minerals - Garnet, Ilmenite and Rutile in Thoothukudi district. This team will also consist of officers from the departments of Revenue, Environment and Forests and Geology & Mining. The Team members will be nominated by the respective Secretaries to Government.
· This Special Team shall exercise all the powers enumerated in section 24 of Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
· The District Collector, Thoothukudi will issue proceedings directing all lessees of minerals - Garnet, Ilmenite and Rutile in Thoothukudi district to stop the mining operations pending completion of the inspections by the Special Team.
· The Assistant Director, (Mines) Thoothukudi is directed to stop issuance of transport permits to the six lessees till the inspections are completed.
The Special Team is directed to complete the inspections expeditiously and submit its report to the Government within a month.
Issued by : Director of Information & Public Relations, Chennai – 9.
Illegal sand mining in Tamil Nadu to be probed
Tamil Nadu,Business/Economy,Politics, Fri, 09 Aug 2013IANS
The special team headed by Gagandeep Singh Bedi, secretary, Department of Revenue, will submit its report in a month. Other members of the team will be from the Department of Revenue and Department of Environment and Forests, Geology and Mining.
The team will inspect mining of all the leased areas of in Tuticorin district.
"The commissioner of geology and mining has recommended that till the completion of the probe, mining operations in respect of these leases may be directed to be stopped to facilitate inspections," the government order states.
The government's decision comes after Tuticorin District Collector Ashish Kumar sent a report to the government Aug 6 saying that large scale illicit beach sand mining had been detected in the district.
The report also recommended detailed field inspections by a special team comprising officials from the departments of revenue, police, environment and forests, geology and mining to be undertaken.
Incidentally, Kumar was transferred and posted as deputy secretary of Social Welfare and Nutritious Meals Department and M. Ravikumar, district collector, Ariyalur, will replace him at Tuticorin.
Officials of Tuticorin district administration inspected the sand quarries in Vaippar and Vembar villages in the district Tuesday on complaints that a mining company with a permission to mine in four hectares has been mining in 30 hectares.
"On the basis of complaints from the fishing community, we inspected the mining areas in Vaippar village. The leasee has been given permission to mine in four hectares. We found the mining was being done in 30 hectares," Kumar told IANS.
"Around 230,000 tonnes of beach sand minerals have been quarried in Vaippar village without permission from the government. We have sent the report to the government and action will be taken," he said.
"We have not quantified the quantum of loss to the government," he added
"The special team should not just look at the three beach sand minerals garnet, ilmenite and rutile but at the entire placer sands that include atomic minerals like monazite," S. Kalyanaraman, retired executive of Asian Development Bank (ADB) and an activist told IANS
"The appointment of a special team is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. This is only the end of the beginning," V. Sundaram, a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer told IANS.
He congratulated Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa for stopping illegal mining of precious minerals.
He said illegal mining of beach sand minerals like monazite containing thorium was brought to the notice of the Tamil Nadu government last January.
Tamil Nadu government orders probe into illegal sand mining
By PTI - CHENNAI
09th August 2013 03:58 PM
Tamil Nadu Government on Friday ordered suspension of sand mining in Tuticorin district and formed a Special Team to probe into the issue in the backdrop of reports of illegal mining activities surfacing there.
A special team headed by Revenue Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi and officials from Environment and Forests, Geology and Mining departments has been formed to inspect the mining activities as per the Section 24 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 an official release said.
"The Commissioner of Geology and Mining has recommended that till the completion of the inspection by the Special Team, mining operations in respect of those leases may be directed to be stopped to facilitate inspections", it said.
Tuticorin District Collector would issue proceedings directing all the lessees of minerals--garnet, ilmenite and rutile in the district to "stop" the mining operations pending completion of the inspections by the Special Team.
"The Special Team is directed to complete the inspections expeditiously and submit the report to the Government within a month", the release said.
The Government action comes days after the transfer of Tuticorin District Collector Ashish Kumar after he cracked down on illegal sand mining in the area.
However, the official himself termed his transfer as a "government's decision" and refused to comment.