The Madras High Court has ordered the transfer of the entire stock of beach sand minerals, amounting to 1.4 crore tonnes, hoarded by mining companies, to IREL (India) Limited. This is the only entity in the country having a license to handle beach sand minerals after the union government terminated private licence holders in.
2019 The court held that the findings of Gagandeep Singh Bedi report, Satyabrata Sahoo report, reassessment report and Amicus Curiae report were valid and sustainable in the eyes of law, and granted permission to the state government to hand over the entire stock of raw sand, processed or semi-processed beach sand.
The order issued by the natural resources department additional chief secretary K Phanindra Reddy, dated April 8, 2025, will be handed over to IREL (India) Limited tax evasion environmental regulations upon getting tentative price details, including the cost of security and transportation The government has constituted a committee comprising commissioner of Geology.
Minerals held by the lessees at their godowns, factories, stock yards, and mining companies sealed in 2017, to IREL as argued by the state government and Mining, Chief Executive Officer of Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Development Board, and Special secretary of finance department to approve the cost of minerals. District collectors.
of Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, and Kanniyakumari have been instructed to constitute a TO AS multi-disciplinary team comprising officials of revenue, survey, geology and mining, and Atomic mineral directorate and IREL (India) Limited to monitor the Ltd (IREL), a central public sector undertaking. transportation process and provide 24×7 police.
The HC declared that the 1.4 crore tonnes of minerals hoarded at all the godowns protection at the places where the stock is held currently and stockyards are illegally mined, as mining was banned in September 2013. The Southern Railway in 2024 had stated that the Kavach system would be installed in a phased manner for 2,216 km.
Tamil Nadu to Transfer Seized Beach Sand Minerals to Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IREL)
In a decisive move to address illegal beach sand mining, the Tamil Nadu government has ordered the transfer of approximately 1.4 crore tonnes of seized beach sand agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax Department, and Customs for Transfer Process and Oversight minerals from private entities to Indian Rare Earths.
Background and Legal Proceedings
The action follows a directive from the Madras High Court, which validated findings from multiple investigative reports, including those by IAS officers Gagandeep Singh Bedi and Satyabrata Sahoo. These reports uncovered extensive illegalities in beach sand extraction and hoarding by private firms across Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, and Kanniyakumari districts.
Financial Implications and Recovery
The government has directed district administrations to initiate proceedings to District Collectors of the affected tasked with forming multidisciplinary monitoring recover the assessed mineral value and royalty, amounting to ₹5,832 crore, from lessees responsible for illegal mining, transport, and export between 2000 and 2017.
Ongoing Investigations
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has intensified its probe into the illegal mining operations, conducting raids on multiple locations linked to private firms of tracks across the state and Kerala.involved in the scam. The Madras High Court has instructed the Union Government to investigate the financial dealings of the involved.
This significant action by the Tamil Nadu government marks a crucial step in enforcing accountability and restoring legal mining practices in the state. By transferring the seized minerals to IREL, the government aims to ensure that the resources are managed responsibly, aligning with national interests and firms, potentially involving a comprehensive audit into suspected money laundering.
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