Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has moved a petition to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa requesting the Government to transfer the District Collector, and Inspector of Anupparapalayam police station, for not preventing sand mining at Puthupalayam irrigation tank and for arresting an activist who protested the mining, respectively.
Contempt proceedings
Meanwhile, another group of activists had decided to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the Collector, Tahsildar (Avinashi) and a few other officials of Revenue and Public Works Departments for failing to stop sand mining at Puthupalayam tank despite the High Court order.
“Tahsildar of Avinashi has been informed by D. Prabhakaran, the activist who was crusading against the sand mafia in the region and later got arrested by the Anupparapalayam police on false case, about the sand mining, but the Tahsildar allegedly acted lethargically to the appeal,” T. Sathyamoorthy, an advocate and also activist, told The Hindu .
S. Sundarapandian, AAP district convener, said that even before the Madras High Court order came in the recent months banning sand mining at Puthupalayam tank, the issue was taken to the notice of the Collector by different sections of society including a petition from the AAP itself that was submitted eight months ago.
“So, the district administration was well aware of the mining. Hence, none of the officials can run away from the responsibility.
False charge
“In the case of the police, the Station House Officer of Anupparpalayam police station should be moved out of the place for arresting the activist on false charge,” he added.
