Goemkarponn desk
PONDA: Director of Mines issued a show cause notice to the land owner at Mollem for involving in the extraction of illegal laterite stones asking them to clarify why the action should not be taken against them.
They are also given notice as to why twice the value of minor mineral extracted should not be recovered from them for violating minor mineral concession laws, which amount to theft of minor mineral( laterite stones) under law.
It may be recalled that Collem police, along with Mines department official, last week conducted a raid on an illegal laterite stone quarry operating at Barkate Mollem Dharbandora; however, during the raid, the labourers working on the laterite quarry fled the scene, following which police seized power tiller and three blades used for extraction of laterite stones.
The officials of the Directorate of Mines on 27 July inspected the illegal extraction of laterite stones was found to be carried out. The three illegally opened pit quarries were observed in the said survey, from which laterite stones were extracted.
The department calculated the number of laterite stones extracted from three pit quarries and arrived at the mineral value of Rs 1,39,71 194.
The notice to them said that Rs 2.79 crore, which is twice the value mineral extracted, should not be recovered from the violators.
One Mollem local had filed a complaint with Mines Department. Department. It is learnt that the matter has already been sub-judice in High Court.
Violators are given seven days’ time to file a reply, failing which they are warned to take legal action.
