Complaints in mining case to be collected at Chennai, Madurai

MADURAI: Senior IAS officer U Sagayam, appointed by the Madras High Court to probe alleged irregularities in granite quarrying in the district, today said complaints/petitions in this connection would be collected here and at Chennai for convenience to the public.

Those who wish to submit petitions in this regard could do so at the commission's office at Chennai or the 'Old Ramanathapuram' Collector's office here, he said in a release.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M Sathyanarayanan had on September 11 named Sagayam as Special Officer/legal commissioner to probe mining leases issued by government and "violations" by permit-holders.

Sagayam, the then Madurai District Collector, had pegged loss to the state exchequer on account of irregularities in granite mining at Rs 16,000 crore over a period of some years.