Quarry stir ends, doubts persist
The official said it will be for the court to decide on the fresh amendment, too
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2015-10-02 06:44 GMT
Kochi: The Crusher Quarry Coordination Committee on Thursday withdrew its two-week long strike after the government offered an assurance to bring in amendments in the Minor Mineral Concession Rules 2015 to allow small quarries which had the license as on February 27, 2012 to function.
“Industries Minister P K Kunhalikkutty has given us a written assurance to make changes in the rules so that the small quarry and crusher units will be allowed to function,” Davis Pathadan, convenor of the coordination committee told Deccan Chronicle.
“We have started the sale of products on Thursday itself and production will start on Friday.” The government has said it would move the Supreme Court with a special leave petition against a High Court order which stayed the operation of a provision which gave a similar relaxation in the rules.
“It has also been decided that all the stake-holders in the industry as well as the government will petition the Central government seeking relaxation for the small scale units,” Mr Pathadan said.
A top government official, who confirmed the development, said the government will bring in a change in the rules so that the small quarries will have legal sanction to continue with the operation.
When pointed out that the High Court had earlier annulled a similar amendment, the official said it will be for the court to decide on the fresh amendment, too.
The official, however, expressed doubts about the motive of the strike which paralysed the construction industry and major developmental work in the state.
“The quarries can work only by abiding by the law of the land and the government needs to consider the environmental impact of such projects,” he said.
“The industry is now so disorganized that even the government has no accurate data on the amount of granite mined in a year. Though its turnover would run into thousands of crores of rupees, the government hardly gets Rs 50 crore as royalty. Our plan to raise it to at least Rs 200 crore this year but the strike would upset it.”