Telangana acts on illegal mining; KT Rama Rao finds irregularities
Mining minister K.T. Rama Rao directed officials to carry out raids every week in all districts to check illegal mining activities.
Hyderabad: The TS government has cracked the whip on illegal mining of sand, cancelling the licence of a sand reach in Mahbubnagar district for illegal mining. The government also suspended an assistant director and royalty inspector of the mines department for colluding with illegal miners thereby causing loss to state exchequer.
Mining minister K.T. Rama Rao on Thursday directed officials to carry out raids every week in all districts to check illegal mining activities. An inquiry by mining department found that the miners were extracting more than the permitted quantity of sand in Gudibanda of Mahbubnagar district.
While the government permitted extraction of 1,950 cubic metres of sand from a private patta land, it was found that the miners had extracted 60,000 cubic metres by crossing the approved boundary.
The inquiry report said that assistant director of mines Krishna Pratap and royalty inspector Ravi Kumar failed to check the open flouting of norms by the miners.
Mr Rao took serious view of the discrepancy and ordered suspension of both these officials with immediate effect. The minister also cancelled the approval for mining given to the contractor and directed officials to impose penalty and file a criminal case against him.
Mr Rao warned mining officials of severe action if they fail to check illegal mining activities in the state and said he would obtain information from all possible sources every month on the functioning of officials and illegal mining activities.
“Officials who fail to check illegal mining activities will not be spared. They will be suspended immediately and a departmental inquiry will be ordered,” Mr Rao said.
The government formed an inquiry committee with TS Mineral Development Corporation VC & MD Illambarthi and director of mines Susheel Kumar to inquire into illegal mining activities in the state.
The committee inspected mining sites in Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Karimnagar and Mahbubnagar districts and found illegal sand mining in Mahbubnagar.