Nizamabad MP questions State R&B and Energy Ministers

Hyderabad: Nizamabad MP Arvind Dharmapuri on Thursday came down heavily on State Road and Buildings Minister Vemula Prashanth Reddy and Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy, while demanding a thorough inquiry against officials of the Pollution Control Board, R&B and Mines department.

Addressing the media here, while welcoming the direction of the State High Court for closure of stone quarry operating on leased government land in Battapur village of Yergatla mandal (Nizamabad district), he asked the R&B Minister how his department had made payments for more than Rs 150 crore procuring metal from an illegally operating quarry

He said the leaseholders of the quarry have been operating in gross violation by encroaching on a reserve forest land.

Besides, it has no environmental permission from the Pollution Control Board. Despite the issue being brought to the notice of the State Chief Secretary by the Vigilance department no action was taken against illegal mining of the metal.

The MP said a forest range official questioned the operation of the quarry in a reserved forest area and was transferred within 24 hours of his inspection of the quarry site. Though several reminders were sent to the concerned mines officials no results yielded; the officials turned a blind eye due to influence of local minister.

He alleged the quarry leaseholders had excavated illegally around 12 lakh cubic meters, as against permission taken for only 13,000 cubic meters; most of it was supplied to the R&B department. He questioned how the leaseholder is related to the minister.

Arvind said the quarry and crusher have been operating since November 2016. The leaseholders have illegally laid all-weather roads for transporting metal from the quarry site operating heavy dumpers round the clock without permission from the Forest department. The activity had reportedly resulted in the wildlife in the area being driven deep into the forest; trees perished due to pollution.

He said “Explosives are being procured illegally and stored in the open. The rule says explosives should be kept in magazines or stored in nearest police station, but they are not. Hence people who are working in the quarry are at grave risk. Indiscriminate blasting is resulting in stones falling in nearby fields.

The police are not taking any action because of some powerful people. A total power bill of Rs 51 lakh is due from the crusher owner for the past nine months. The Transco disconnected power supply, but the crusher owners were spared;the Energy Minister should answer this, he demanded.

Citing the Supreme Court directions. the MP said penalties for illegally quarrying and supplying metal, non-payment of royalty and taxes to the State government for the excess metal in all will be around Rs 500 crore. Despite directions from the Director of Mines, no PTI measurement is being done allegedly at the behest of the minister, he added,