Revenue issues stop memo on mining at Mullakkara

Thrissur: Revenue officials have issued a stop memo on mining and removal of earth from a hillock at Mullakkara near Mulayam Road here after finding that there was gross violation of the rules in granting permission for it.
It has been alleged that a huge amount of earth has been mined under the guise of building a house there.

The revenue team, led by assistant collector Prem Krishnan and included tahsildar George Joseph, had on Monday visited the site from where Thrissur corporation assistant engineer and the senior geologist had granted permission to mine and take away 847 m3 of earth from the site.

The greens in the locality have filed a complaint with the RDO on Tuesday demanding an inquiry into the alleged nexus between corporation assistant engineer at Ollukkara zonal office and the senior geologist in Thrissur with soil miners as they were the officials who granted the licence.

“The land owner told us that he did not have much of an idea about the mining activity in his 20 cent land on the hill,” Mr Joseph said. “The order to the geologist mentions about a house permit but it is to be verified whether the land owner had indeed applied in the civic body for one. It was evident that there was no scope for mining by steeply cutting the earth causing serious safety concerns.” The tahsildar said there was a possibility of the soil mafia making use of a land owner for obtaining licence of soil mining and transportation.

The officials, however, refused to take into custody the earthmover citing technicalities as demanded by the petitioner RTI activist P.B. Satheesh.