Justice Ramesh Ranganathan of the AP High Court on Thursday stayed the excavation of sand in Ghaniatkuru village in Kanchikerla mandal of Krishna district.
The judge was passing the orders on a writ petition filed by N. Prasad and four others complaining that without following the due procedure prescribed by the High Court and without obtaining a prior clearance from it, the lease to the extent of 3-6 hectares was granted. The petitioner further contended that the excavation was in violation of norms in the lease.
The court called for an explanation from the government regarding the earlier High Court and Supreme Court orders and whether or not the excavation was cleared by the High Court. When it came to light that rules had not been followed and the High Court had not cleared the lease, the court suspended excavation of sand.
