Seeking a comprehensive inquiry into the State government’s order to relax the minimum permissible distance limit for quarrying, Congress leader and Vadakara MP Mullappally Ramachandran has alleged that a ₹100-crore scam was involved in the decision.
The government had revised the mining rules and restored the minimum permissible distance limit for quarrying to 50 metres from roads, rivers, and residential buildings.
The previous United Democratic Front regime had doubled the distance limit to 100 metres.
Mr. Ramachandran was speaking at a protest organised at Perambra against the government decision to revise the liquor policy.
The government had collected a sum of ₹5 lakh as bribe from each quarry owner to scuttle an earlier decision, Mr. Ramachandran alleged.
There are more than 2,000 quarry owners in the State. If the State government was reluctant to order an inquiry, the Centre should order a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation to bring out the truth, he said.
The Congress leader also alleged that a quarry lobby could be behind the suicide of Kavilpurayidathil Joy, a settler farmer from Chakkittappara grama panchayat. The ongoing probe should focus on the suspected involvement of quarry owners in the region, he said.
Liquor policy
Mr. Ramachandran said the decision to revise the liquor policy was also mired in corruption.
