THOOTHUKUDI: As the centre’s IREL India Limited functioning in Manavalakurichi had agreed to procure the beach sand minerals seized by the Tamil Nadu government at a cost of Rs 241 per tonne for raw sand and semi-processed sand; and Rs 2,416 per tonne for processed minerals, TN officials have initiated the process to hand over the heavy minerals under seizure in private godowns and stockyards as per the orders of the Madras High Court dated February 17, 2025.
Besides ordering CBI investigation into the mining scam, the HC had ordered to recover Rs 5,832 crore from eight mining companies for causing revenue loss to the state exchequer and to shift the existing 1.40 crore tonnes of beach sand and processed minerals to IREL India Limited.
However, a few of the mining barons had obtained a “status quo” order from SC, restraining officials from shifting the minerals to the IREL premises at Manavalakurichi in Kanniyakumari district.
The TN Natural Resources department had issued a G.O. on April 18, based on the HC order, to hand over the seized minerals stored in Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari to IREL India limited.
As per the Reassessment Report 2023, the total stock available is 1.40 crore tonnes, including raw sand and semi-processed sand (1.37 crore tonnes) and processed minerals (3.01 lakh tonnes). According to an official, the four miners with the status quo order hold more than half of the 1.4 crore tonnes of beach sand minerals.
TN government sources said that a high-level committee has fixed a tentative price of Rs 241 per tonne for raw sand, semi-processed sand, and Rs 2,416 per tonne for processed minerals plus other statutory payments. The total estimated cost is Rs 404.39 crore, including raw sand and semi-processed sand (Rs 331.52 crore) and processed minerals (Rs 72.87 crore). This figure includes those with status quo order also.
IREL sources said that they have agreed to procure the raw sand and minerals at the prescribed tentative cost.
Tirunelveli Collector R Sukumar told TNIE that they have initiated the process to transport the beach sand minerals from six stockyards to the IREL. The experts and scientists of IREL and AMD have begun collecting samples of the minerals, he added.
As per the proceedings of Thoothukudi Collector K Elambahavath dated June 25, 2025, it is confirmed that a committee has been formed to transport the minerals to IREL from Thoothukudi, in compliance with the court orders.