Anti-corruption movement to implead itself in PRP case

MADURAI: The Anti-Corruption Movement in Madurai has decided to implead itself in the petition filed by the granite firms (PRP Granites and Exports) seeking to allow them to export granites quarried in other districts of the state.
The activists said the granite firms should not be allowed to quarry granites outside Madurai and export the same.
“The government belatedly unearthed the illegal quarry operations.And as a part of investigation, their businesses have been stopped. In this situation, the firms’ petition seeking to allow them to do business outside the Madurai district gives us a shock,” said P Somasundaram, president of the Water Resources Preservation and Anti-Corruption, Madurai.
“Hundreds of water bodies, thousands of acres of fertile lands disappeared in many villages in Madurai. Villagers’ livelihood is under question now. All these were done by the granite quarries based in Madurai,” the activist said.
Madurai-based companies have expanded their quarry business to more than 20 districts including Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Nammakkal, Pudukottai, where they damaged irreversibly the environment, Somasundaram said.
Due to such mining activities, many districts have severely affected. Hence, the activists had demanded the high court-appointed IAS officer U Sagayam to probe all illegal granite, beach sand mineral and river sand mining activities across the state. But, the government restricted his investigation to Madurai alone. “They said it is necessary to seize all the granite blocks quarried by granite firms to compensate for the damages. Hence, we have decided to implead in the PRP’s case,” said Somasundaram.
Meanwhile, people in Melur taluk were worried about district administration’s recent intervention in the granite scam probe. They say Sagayam’s probe would be far better than district administration’s intervention.
“It would delay and hinder the whole process. It would be better if Sagayam is allowed to continue his probe without any interference,” a villager said.
The activists also suggested including former Madurai collector Anshul Mishra as member of Sahayam’s committee.