CHENNAI | Dec 01, 2015: Tamil Nadu tops in registering first information reports (FIRs) in cases relating to illegal mining of major and minor minerals in the country, minister of state for mines Vishnu Deo Sai said in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
He said that of 12,718 FIRs filed in the country for illegal mining activity between April 1, 2012 and June 30, 2015, Tamil Nadu accounted for 6,515 cases. But only one case was referred to the court for criminal prosecution during this period. In contrast, Madhya Pradesh had 61 FIRs during the same period, but 24,848 cases were referred to court. Similarly, Chhattisgarh had only two FIRs, but 12,482 cases from the state were referred to courts for prosecution. Rajasthan filed 2,183 FIRs, the second highest, during the three-year period.
Statistics may look deceptive as not many cases have landed in courts in Tamil Nadu. It does not mean that the culprits have walked away in all the remaining 6,514 cases. The state had seized 33,665 vehicles for illegal mining and collected a fine of Rs 105.53 crore from the culprits, as per the minister's statement.
A senior official said as per the mines and mineral rules, district collectors were fully empowered to compound the case by imposing a hefty penalty on the people involved in illegal mining and transportation of minerals, which includes even river sand. While the vehicle owner and people involved in mining are imposed a fine of up to 20 times the value of the mineral, an additional fine is imposed on the seized truck for its release. The district collector is also empowered to initiate criminal action against the culprits if they are habitual offenders. In Tamil Nadu, many people were even detained under Goondas Act for illegal mining of minerals.
Across the country, Rs 1,164.30 crore was collected as fine from illegal miners, the minister said. A year-wise look at the cases in Tamil Nadu shows for 2012-13, 295 illegal mining cases were registered, 1,078 for 2013-14, 205 for 2014-15 and just 12 for the first quarter in 2015-16. Apart from river sand mining, Tamil Nadu mines lignite, magnesite, graphite, limestone, granite, bauxite and garnet.
State governments are empowered to make rules for prevention of illegal mining, transportation and storage of minerals, and, therefore, matters relating to illegal mining come under the legislative and administrative jurisdiction of state governments.
The ministry of mines has constituted a 'Central Coordination-cum-Empowered Committee (CCEC)' under the chairmanship of secretary (mines) with members comprising officials of several ministries and twelve important mineral producing states including Tamil Nadu.
Activist and lawyer, T Lajapathi Roy, who has filed several cases against illegal mining, said that illegal mining flourishes in Tamil Nadu because of high level of corruption. "There are many court orders against illegal mining, but they (miners) somehow get the court to intervene when stringent action is taken,'' he said. Corruption in the administration starts at the lowest level, he charged.
Monday's announcement by the union ministry may put further pressure on Tamil Nadu government which is under the weather after an independent court-appointed U Sagayam Commission estimated more than Rs 65,000 crore revenue loss for the state owing to illegal granite mining in Madurai region alone.
President of the anti-corruption movement in Melur, P Somasundaram said that political investment indirectly in quarries, as they saw the mines as a means of making fast money, is the main reason for illegal mining flourishing in this state. "All governments go hand in hand with these miners,'' he said.
Huge mineral rich mountains such as Purakoodumalai, Pokkishamalai and Pancha Pandavar malai in Keelavalavu and Veluthumalai in Keelaiyur in Melur, along with 74 water bodies were completed destroyed, he said.
(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)