Trishul Cements Industries India Limited, which is owned by J.C. Pavan Reddy, son of former MP Diwakar Reddy, has mined 11.20 lakh tonnes of limestone from 1,600 acres at Konuppalapadu of Yadiki mandal in the district allegedly without permission or paying royalty fee, according to Tadipatri MLA Kethireddy Pedda Reddy.
Addressing the media here on Tuesday, Mr. Pedda Reddy said, “The company was set up by the family members of Mr. Diwakar Reddy allegedly by acquiring mining lease through benami names. The company did not have the permit to mine limestone for supply to other cement factories. It was supposed to set up a unit on the leased land and use mined mineral for production of cement.”
‘Survey findings’
“The company mined 1.38 lakh tonnes by paying royalty and taking permission from the Mining Department. It, however, illegally mined 11.20 lakh tonnes, which came to light after a resident of Tadipatri, V. Murali Prasad Reddy, commissioned a survey of the area through a private agency and got the Google Earth Maps of the area before and after the mining took place,” said Mr. Pedda Reddy.
“A case is pending in the court seeking that a criminal case be filed against the family members of Mr. Diwakar Reddy for taking over the company through benami names,” he said, and added that Mr. Murali Prasad Reddy, who was also present, would submit the survey records and maps to the court to justify his claim that illegal mining had been done in the area.
The State government had cancelled the mining lease last month, but the entire issue needed to be probed minutely, said Mr. Pedda Reddy, and sought action against the officials of the Mining Department who had given permission for mining when it was not allowed as per the MoU signed at the time of leasing out the land, the MLA said.
