MADURAI: From special court for hearing cases related to illegal granite mining, CBI probe, protection to whistleblowers, taking errant officials to task and tightening the rules governing mining, the report submitted by court-appointed special commissioner U Sagayam puts forth a wide range of recommendations that include measures to address the errors of the past, and take steps to streamline the procedure.
The report Sagayam submitted to the first bench of the Madras High Court on Monday has two parts – a 620-page long recommendations that form the report, and another 6,000 pages of supporting material.
According to highly placed sources, the report has recommended that the State government should consider ordering CBI inquiry into the scam, which should be done from 1990. It has sought compensation for farmers and other villagers who suffered due to illegal granite quarries.
Also, alleging that government officials were aware of the plunder of the resources but failed to take action against the firms that are involved in these irregularities, the report said the State government should conduct inquiry into each of the departments that have stakes in controlling the operation of the quarries in the district.
The commission also alleged that the Tamil Nadu Minerals Department officials worked in favour of private granite firms, and sought investigation into their roles in the whole scam.The existing rules that control mining activities should be tightened to prevent this in future, the report said.
Sagayam pointed out that there were many whistleblowers among the common public who came forward to give crucial information that helped crack the case. The government should ensure their safety, said the official, recommending that they should be given police protection even after completion of inquiry.