The Hindu : `Rampant violation of rules in Tirunelveli'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 25, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

`Rampant violation of rules in Tirunelveli'

By P. Sudhakar

Tirunelveli April 24 . Riverbeds in Tirunelveli are not only a good source of income to the exchequer, but they also enrich some people and provide them muscle power and political clout. For, some of the riverbeds are being mined illegally despite efforts by officials here to counter the menace.

The department of Mines earned Rs. 5.65 crores, auctioning sandmines at Seevalaperi, and Sankarapuram I and II, all in the riverbeds of the perennial Tamirabarani, and at Thirumalaapuram near Sivagiri for three years from 2001, and made another Rs. 1.70 crores as seigniorage for 2001-02. Again in 2002-03, the department got Rs. 2.12 crores. As per the existing norms, the licensee should pay Rs. 170 per lorry with two units of sand.

As for reality, the licensees, at the time of auctioning, pledge that the sand would not be taken from a depth beyond one metre, but quarrying exceeds the permitted level.

Also the department condition no licensee engage in quarrying between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. is wantonly violated. "The district administration has made this stipulation in an attempt to avoid accidents in sand mines during night, but it is blatantly flouted. Besides infringing the permitted level of mining, the licensees load a huge quantity of extra sand in specially-designed lorries under cover of darkness. By this strategy, they can easily take more than three units in a lorry against the permitted two units," said a former licensee.

However, officials say they registered in 2001-02 as many as 381 cases for violation of the norms and illegal sand mining, and imposed a fine of Rs. 85.76 lakhs.

In 2002-03, 449 cases were registered and a Rs. 1.02-crore fine was collected.

Ridiculing the claim of the officials, the former licensee said what was detected was only the tip of the iceberg, as the mafia was quarrying a huge quantity after heavily bribing members of the local body and revenue officials. "Though a licensee quarried sand rampantly from a Seevalaperi mine, the issue was settled `amicably' when he agreed to pay Rs. 5 lakhs to a former revenue divisional officer of Tirunelveli.

However, he informed the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption at the last minute, leading to the arrest of the official when he took the money at his official residence last year," recalled the former licensee.

The illegal sand quarrying, going on for decades, has also endangered a huge palmyra grove in the Pachchayaru riverbed near Tharuvai.

Villagers alleged the sand mining was being done for a long time with the blessings of some `black sheep' in the Revenue department including some village administrative officers, though no licence had been issued to any individual for mining in the Pachchayaru riverbed.

But, everyone, both officials and licensees, agree that after Sunil Paliwal assumed office as Tirunelveli Collector, the revenue from sand mines has increased to a large extent.

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