Madras HC seeks response in Rs 16,000 cr TN granite scam

In 2012, scam took the centrestage in Tamil Nadu after collector filed a detail report

The Madras high court has directed Union and state governments to reply in three weeks in the alleged granite scams in Tamil Nadu.

The direction came from the First Bench, consisting of acting Chief Justice Satish K Agnihotri and Justice MM Sundresh, today after the petitioner Traffic Ramaswamy, a public interest litigator and a social activist, informed the court the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had not taken any action against his petition and pleaded the court to give a direction to the ED  to conduct an inquiry.

Supreme Court advocate N Rajaraman, who represented the petitioner, added the earlier Tamil Nadu chief minister said the matter would be refered to the ED.

The advocated also sought a group headed by former Madurai collector Ubargarampillai Sagayam be formed to carry out inspections in granite mines/ industries across the state.

In 2012, Sagayam submitted a “controversial” report to the Tamil Nadu government on the issue of granite quarries, which took a centre-stage then.

According to the report, the state has lost at least Rs 16,000 crore due to illegal quarrying in Madurai over the last two decades.

The district administration filed over 60 cases under illegal mining, explosive Act, land grabbing and the damage to public properties. Former Union Minister MK Alagiri’s son Dayanidhi Alagiri was also pulled up for his “alleged” involvement in the illegal mining.

India possesses one of the best granite deposits in the world accounting for over 20 per cent of the global granite resources.

Of the estimated Rs 30,000 crore granite industry, south India commands a market share of Rs 18,000 crore. Among these, Madurai, Krishnagiri and Hosur are the front runners.