HYDERABAD: Cracking the whip on illegal sand mining operators, mines and geology minister KT Rama Rao on Thursday cancelled the operations at the Gudibanda sand reach in Mahbubnagar district and also suspended two officials for their failure to control them.
Rama Rao got reports on sand mining from several districts and found that the mining contractor was mining excess sand than the permitted quota at Gudibanda and suspended the operations there. He warned that stern action would be taken against contractors and officials who resort to illegal practices.
Telangana State Mining Development Corporation managing director K Ilambarithi and director of mines Sushil Kumar toured several sand reaches recently and conducted surprise checks there.
During their tour of Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Karimnagar and Mahbubnagar districts, the officials found that though the mines department had permitted mining of 1,950 cubic metres of sand at Gudibanda sand reach in Mahbubnagar district, the contractor took away around 60,000 cubic metres so far. Worse, he extended his operations to other than the permitted areas.
On coming to know of this, Rama Rao directed the officials to place assistant director Krishna and royalty inspector Ravi Kumar under suspension immediately for their failure to prevent the illegal sand mining, and to post new officers in their places. Cases will be registered against the contractor and a penalty levied on him.
Rama Rao warned that the government would register criminal cases against those who resort to illegal sand mining in future. He directed the officials to tour in their respective jurisdictions once in a week to check illegal mining.