Members of the Fishermen United Front in Tuticorin welcomed Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha’s announcement on Tuesday banning beach sand mining across Tamil Nadu.
Talking to reporters here on Tuesday, A. Subash Fernando, district secretary of the Front, said based on the submissions of the final report by the special team, led by Revenue Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi, which inspected the coastline at six locations in Tuticorin district, the Chief Minister had ordered the ban.
He said the enforcement agencies in districts, which witnessed beach sand mining, should effectively enforce the ban.
Final report
The final report on beach sand mining should be publicised through media and stringent action should be taken against those involved in illegal mining over the past 20 years, he demanded.
Superintendent of Police M. Durai had said an FIR would be registered by the Kulathur police against those allegedly mining mineral sand violating all rules only after the special team’s final report was submitted.
Struggle to continue
Now the police should register an FIR, he said, and added that the fishermen’s struggle would continue until action was taken against illegal miners.
