AP mines minister orders crackdown on illegal mining

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh mines minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy on Monday ordered officials to crack down on illegal mining in the state.

At a review meeting with mines department officials at the Secretariat in Velagapudi, the minister said that three special teams had been formed to investigate allegations of quartz mining in the Nellore district. He said that the teams would submit their report within a week and that action would be taken based on their findings. Until then, all mining in Nellore has been ordered to stop.

Reddy also instructed officials to pay special attention to limestone mining in Guntur district and gravel mining in NTR Vijayawada and Krishna districts. He further instructed them to take action on complaints of unauthorized movement of gravel on Polavaram canal banks and in hilly areas.

The minister suggested that inspections should be intensified in areas where illegal mining complaints are received. He also ordered surprise checks to be carried out with vigilance teams.

MLA Kasu Mahesh Reddy, Mines Department special chief secretary Gopalakrishna Dwivedi, ADMG W.B. Chandrasekhar, and Mines Department J.D. Rajababu were among the officials who attended the meeting.