TN targets mineral mafia: 1.4 cr tonnes of illegal sand to PSU

Chennai

In a significant move to address illegal beach sand mining, the Tamil Nadu government has directed the transfer of 1.4 crore tonnes of seized beach sand minerals to Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IREL), a Central public sector entity. This action follows an ongoing investigation into one of the country's largest mineral scams, valued at Rs 5,832 crore.

The illegally stockpiled minerals, including garnet, ilmenite, rutile, and others, were hoarded by private entities across the districts of Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, and Kanniyakumari, according to state investigations. An official order from K. Phanindra Reddy, Additional Chief Secretary of the Natural Resources Department, details the logistics of transferring the minerals from sealed stockyards and godowns.

This seizure and transfer stem from a Madras High Court order, which upheld reports revealing widespread illegal sand extraction and hoarding. The court authorized the state to confiscate all raw and semi-processed stock from private companies and hand it over to IREL after valuation.

A reassessment in 2023 found that only 1.4 crore tonnes of minerals remained, indicating a significant amount had been illicitly removed. A high-level committee has been formed to assess the stock's value and oversee its safe transportation.

Meanwhile, proceedings have been initiated to recover Rs 5,832 crore in unpaid royalty and mineral value from the companies involved in the illegal extraction between 2000 and 2017. Additionally, the CBI raided locations linked to V.V. Minerals and its promoter, S. Vaikundarajan, on April 6.