Mines officials to use RR Act for recovery of dues

Srikakulam: Mines and geology assistant geologist (Srikakulam division) and assistant director (AD) for task force R Pratap Reddy imposed Rs 18.04 crore penalty on nine stone and metal quarries and crushers for violating mining rules.

The amount of penalty imposed in a span of six months from November 2017 to May 2018. The mining activity has been going on at these quarries without getting proper permissions from the department and even after getting permissions for mining they are violating royalty payment rules. As per rule, for each cubic metre road metal, the royalty is Rs 75 and three per cent of royalty must be paid as district mineral fund (DMF).

For each Rs 75 DMF, the royalty is Rs 22 on each cubic metre. A zilla parishath territorial constituency (ZPTC) member of Ponduru mandal and belonging to ruling TDP, L Sriramulu Naidu violated AP mines and mineral rules and excavated road metal from a quarry in Ponduru mandal in the name of Naga Gayatri stone crushers as he is its proprietor.

Mines and geology department officials confirmed illegal mining and imposed Rs 4,05, 22, 250 as penalty and issued notice for payment of amount. In total Rs 37 lakh penalty was imposed on Maruthi stone crushers, Rs 12 lakh on Sridevi Stone Crushers, Rs 15 lakh on Yerrannaidu quarry, all the four located in Ponduru mandal.

Rs 1.54 crore penalty has been imposed on Venkata Naidu quarry in Burja mandal, Rs 2.37 crore penalty on Vindyavasini quarry, Rs 1.5 crore penalty on Siddardha quarry, both are in Saravakota mandal. Vamsadara contract companies, Sri Sailaxmi Constructions and Rutwik Projects Limited were also violated rules. Rs 7.29 crore penalty on Sri Sailaxmi Constructions and Rs 2.36 crore penalty on Rutwik Projects Limited has been imposed.

However, the quarry owners are trying to evade penalty amount. In Ponduru mandal, quarry owners are resorting to help TDP MLA to evade payment as the MLA too is having quarries with benami names. To recover penalty amount mines officials are considering using Revenue Recovery Act (RR Act) against quarry owners. “We will issue notices to quarry owners under RR Act for recovery of the penalty amount,” said mines and geology assistant geologist and task force AD, Dr R Pratap Reddy to The Hans India.