HC directs Centre, firms to file counter withing 4 weeks

The Madras High court today directed the Union Government and some beach sand mining companies to file their counter-affidavits within four weeks on a PIL alleging a scam to the tune of Rs one lakh crore in the export of rare earth minerals.
The court said it would impose Rs 10,000 as costs if they do not file their counters by next month.
The First Bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M M Sundresh, gave the four-week ultimatum to the Ministry of Mines, Department of Atomic Energy, Environment Ministry, besides the private companies, and said it would impose costs in case of further delay in filing the counter-affidavits.

The matter relates to a PIL filed by ocean scientist G Victor Rajamanickam who sought a special investigation team (SIT) to probe illegal beach sand mining in the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, alleging that rare minerals worth at least Rs one lakh crore had been illegally exported from Tamil Nadu with connivance of central and state agencies and officers.
When the matter was taken up for hearing, only Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary, Industries Secretary and Commissioner of Geology and Mining had furnished their counter-affidavits.
In his petition, septuagenarian Rajamanickam alleged that the state government had allowed V V Minerals and others to export 4.55 lakh tonnes of the minerals between September 18, 2013 and May 30, 2014, after two government orders were passed banning beach sand mining in the state. The government violated the Atomic Energy Act by including monazite and other banned minerals in 16 mining leases given to V V Minerals in Tirunelveli district, he alleged.

Monazite is a radioactive mineral and only the government-owned Indian Rare Earth Limited is permitted to handle it. "The fact that the state government on its own granted permission to mine monazite, zircon, leucoxene and sillimanite by modifying 16 existing mining leases without reference to the Centre and the Department of Atomic Energy, establishes the complicity of the political leadership in illegal beach sand mining," he said.