SC dismisses leave petition of PRP Exports

PRP Exports is currently facing charges of illegal quary operations in Tamil Nadu

The Supreme Court has dismissed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by PRP Exports seeking the apex court to allow it to operate the quarries in accordance with the licences already granted.

PRP Exports was facing charges of illegal quarry operations in Tamil Nadu.

The petition was against an order passed by the division bench of Madras high court restraining the operations of the company, reversing an earlier judgement of a single Judge in the high court which allowed the company to continue its operations.

The Supreme Court, in an order issued on December 13, 2013, observed that several writ petitions were pending consideration before the high court and it would not be appropriate to pronounce upon the various contentions raised by both the company and the government on merits of the case at this stage.

Earlier, the government said it was receiving complaints and started investigating the issue of illegal quarrying. Alleging that the PRP Exports had indulged in unauthorised quarrying, the state government officials as well as district collector and superintendent of police took steps to seal its factory premises, vehicles and instruments, to suspend quarrying operations.

Following a scientific survey, deputy director and assistant director of Geology and Mining submitted an evaluation report on November 23, 2012, on 88 granite quarries. Among them, 16 quarries belonged to the company. The inspection could not be carried out in 22 granite quarries due to water logging and among that 18 quarries belonged to PRP Exports.

The bench also observed that according to an affidavit, the volume of illegal transportation from the company's 16 quarries was 12,07,863.164 cubic meters and the value of the illicit quarry in the 16 quarries alone comes to Rs 4,124.14-crore.

Further, it was also pointed out that other quarry operators had also indulged in similar illegal quarry operations and the total volume of illegal operations was estimated at Rs 12,390.46-crore and several criminal cases had also been pending for carrying on illegal quarrying operations in the government land.

The commissioner of Geology and Mining through its letter dated December 6, 2012, also recommended for further action. Consequently, under Sub-Rule (2) of Rule 19 of the Granite Conservation and Development Rules, 1999, the state government has suspended the mining operations in respect of 78 granite quarries of Madurai district and, among the same, 20 quarries belonging to PRP Exports were suspended on December 14, 2012, and the copies of the suspension orders were issued to the petitioner firm.