CHENNAI | April 07, 2015: The Madras High Court has directed authorities to examine the issue of appointment of members in the special team which was probing the illicit mining of minerals in five districts of Tamil Nadu.

The First Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T.S. Sivagnanam directed the authorities to examine the issue and respond within a month to the representation of the petitioner who sought fresh appointment of officials from other States as members in the team.

In a PIL, V. Anbazhagan of Poonamallee submitted that the members of two special teams that went into illicit mining in five districts of Tamil Nadu had been posted in those districts earlier and sought fresh appointment of officials from other States as members of the team.

Since his representation dated November 4, 2013 was not responded to, the petitioner preferred the PIL plea. Following a communication from Tuticorin Collector regarding illicit mining of minerals in the district, the then Chief Minister had constituted a special team headed by Revenue Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi on August 8, 2013, to go into the alleged irregularities.

Based on the report submitted by the team on September 17, 2013, the Chief Minister had ordered for a special team to go into the illegal mining in five districts of Tamil Nadu.

(Source: http://www.thehindu.com/)