Illegal mining: HC appoints Sagayam as Special Officer

Cracking down on alleged illegal mining, Madras High Court today ordered appointment of former Madurai District Collector U Sagayam as Special Officer to probe all granite mining contracts and licences given to various private companies in Tamil Nadu to find if there was any misuse.
The First Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M Sathyanarayanan gave the order on a PIL by social activist "Traffic" Ramasamy, seeking direction to the Central Vigilance Commission and Enforcement Directorate, among others, to consider his representation for taking appropriate action against illegal miners in the state.
"U Sagayam, IAS, is appointed as Special Officer/Legal Commissioner by the court to visit and inspect mines and submit a report to the court to satisfy ourselves that action is being taken at sight. At this stage we are not inclined to refer the matter to Chief Vigilance Commissioner".

Apparently referring to Sagayam's frequent transfers, the court asked the Government Pleader S T S Moorthy about the minimum tenure of a District Collector in one place, to which he replied that it will be for a minimum period of two years.
The bench then questioned the Government Pleader on the transfer of the IAS officer within one and half years.
When Moorthy submitted that he will get instructions on the matter, the Chief Justice said, "There is no need for the court to wait for the instructions" and said the instructions of the court should be followed.

The ED should initiate proceedings under money laundering provisions against the mine owners, the Judge said said and wondered how such mining was being done without the knowledge of the revenue, police and commercial tax officials.

"The state had been ruined to such an extent that granite and rare minerals were being sent to foreign countries illegally", the court said.
In its response, the Enforcement Directorate informed the court that a case had been registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against Olympus Granites Pvt Ltd, which had Durai Dayanidhi, son of former Union Minister M K Alagiri, as its director for a while and a leading Madurai-based granite mining and polishing unit, PRP Exports.