Madurai: Tamil Nadu Industries Minister S P
Velumani has alleged that a granites firm owned by Dayanidhi Alagiri, Union Minister M K Alagiri`s son, has been indulging in illegal quarrying of granite worth crores of rupees in and around Melur near here.
Velumani, who made a surprise inspection of Olympus
Granites here, told reporters yesterday the firm had indulged
in "vast exploitation and plundering" of the granite wealth.
"Instead of quarrying 10 per cent of stones at the quarry
site, for which licence had been given, the firm had quarried
100 per cent of the granite wealth. They had even quarried
from the nearby patta land.
"We have enough proof to prove our charge against
Dayanidhi Alagiri," he said.
Alagiri had earlier dismissed an allegation by Velumani
that he was involved in illegal granite business and
challenged him to either prove his charge or quit the Assembly
membership.
Velumani said he had been asked by Chief Minister
Jayalalithaa to carry out the inspection in the aftermath of
the denial.
He said the granite firm was started in 2006 and jointly
run by Dayanidhi Alagiri and one Nagarajan of Madurai.
The firm had been violating government norms at the Tamil
Nadu Minerals Limited (TAMIN) granite quarry site for the past
five years, he alleged.
Moreover, forged documents had been prepared to
substantiate that Dayanidhi Alagiri had quit from Olympus
Granite one year before the AIADMK government came to power in
2011, the Minister claimed.
Warning that action would be taken against the culprits
who indulged in illegal quarrying, Velumani said that the
quarrying licence could be cancelled if residents of nearby
hamlets submit petitions that it caused environmental damages.
PTI
