T.N. to form exclusive wing for sand quarry operations

Tamil Nadu government to establish separate department for sand quarry operations amid allegations of illegal mining and irregularities.

The Tamil Nadu government will soon constitute a separate department for sand quarry operations, official sources said on Sunday.

In the wake of serious irregularities in the sale of sand, and illegal sand mining to the tune of ₹4,730 crore, as alleged by the Enforcement Directorate, the Water Resources Engineering Department has proposed to constitute a separate department to handle sand mining operations.

The decision also comes against the backdrop of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court directing the State, while disposing of a writ petition last year, “not to allow any private operators in the sand quarry operation and to ensure that the sand quarry operations are performed only by Government as per Rule 38A of the Tamil Nadu Minor Mineral Concession Rules”.

In a communication sent to the State government, a top WRD official, referring to the court order, said that the purpose for which Rule 38A was introduced was only to prevent sand quarry operations by private individuals, and in order to achieve the objective, the government had to take a decision to constitute a separate department for conducting sand quarry operations without depending on any private lifting or transport operators, the sources said.

Since Section 38A envisaged that the right to exploit sand shall be vested with the State government, an order was issued in 2003 directing that the Chief Engineers, Water Resources Organisations, Public Works Department, would directly operate sand quarry at 230 locations across Tamil Nadu. Accordingly, such operations were being carried out in Chennai, Tiruchi and Madurai regions.

As the department does not own any machinery for sand quarrying operations, private agencies were engaged on a contact basis for lifting and transporting sand to the depots for sale. In view of the court orders prohibiting sand quarrying and transportation involving private contractors, there was a need for constituting a separate department for conducting sand quarrying operations., the sources said.

The official suggested that the new department may be named ‘Sand Quarrying and Monitoring Corporation’, in which the existing engineering setup of mining and monitoring offices may function on a deputation basis. Another option before the government was to file a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court regarding the issue, he said.