The Madras High Court on Thursday appointed U. Sagayam, Vice-Chairman, Science City, as a Special Officer/Legal Commissioner to inspect various types of mining activities in the State and submit a report to the court within two months.
The First Bench, of Chief Justice S.K. Kaul and Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, passed the order on a public interest litigation petition on illegal quarrying of mines, including illegally mined sand from riverbeds and granite quarries.
By making U. Sagayam, the High Court has spelt out its intentions to crack down an illegal activity that ravages the State’s economy and environment.
Mr. Sagayam is no stranger to playing such sensitive roles. In fact, the officer, who has been transferred 24 times in his 23 years of service, shot to fame as a revenue officer in Kancheepuram when he took stern action against illegal sand mining in the Palar riverbed, braving threats from a strong mafia.
But his most influential role came in 2011 when the Election Commission sent him to Madurai to oversee the Assembly Elections. In the backdrop of the infamous Thirumangalam formula of cash-for-votes, the officer took on political bigwigs in the temple town, including the former Union Minister, M.K. Alagiri. He was then accused of siding with the AIADMK. Mr. Sagayam’s transfers did not end with the DMK’s rule. Only recently was he shifted from the top post in the State-run handloom weavers’ cooperatives organisation — Cooptex. In the petition, K.R. Ramaswamy alias ‘Traffic’ Ramasway said there was illegal quarrying of mines (of various kinds) in the State. Even ‘Bhoomidhan’ lands given to the SC/ST people in Madurai and Pudukottai districts, government poromboke lands and patta lands of third parties had been grabbed by quarry owners for illegal mining.
He wondered how illegally mined material were being transported from one place to another without the knowledge of revenue inspectors, police, commercial tax and revenue officialsMr. Ramaswamy filed an application for a directive to the authorities to appoint Mr. Sagayam, a former Collector of Madurai, to inspect the mines. In the counter, the Industries Secretary said various steps had been taken to check illegalities.
The court said that in view of the nature of illegality alleged and as Mr. Sagayam, an IAS officer, was the one who filed the initial report in the matter, it was appointing him as the Special Officer/Legal Commissioner to inspect the mines and submit a report to the court to satisfy itself that action was being taken at the site.
At this stage, it was not inclined to refer the matter to the Central Vigilance Commission, but to examine the matter subsequently once the official submitted the report.
