Paramakudi Sub-Collector B. Vishnu Chandran, who was taking stern action against illegal sand mining in the revenue division, has been transferred and posted as Nagercoil Sub-Collector.
Administrative reasons are cited for his transfer a few days after he launched a crackdown on illegal sand mining at Kadugusandai in Kadaladi block and ‘seized’ five excavators used for illegal sand mining.
Though officials claimed that Mr. Vishnu Chandran was transferred in tune with the procedure to shift officials who had completed three years of service in a particular place in view of the coming elections, local sources said he was transferred for taking on the sand mining lobby as he hardly completed one and a half years as Paramakudi Sub-Collector.
His wife Asha Ajit, who was working as Sub-Collector in Devakottai in Sivaganga district, was also transferred to Tiruchendur as Sub-Collector.
R. Senthilvel Murugan, Deputy Tahsildar, Kadaladi, was also transferred as he often conducted surprise raids and stopped sand quarrying at Kadugusandai, the sources said. He was posted as Deputy Tahsildar, Elections, Thiruvadanai.
Excavators seized
Official sources said a team of revenue officials, led by Mr. Chandran, seized five excavators and detained them at the site after removing ‘some tools’ and immobilising them, but the highly influential ‘miners’ ‘took away’ the machines. Village Administrative Officer K. Jayakodi lodged a complaint against the permit holder, but Sayalkudi police did not register an FIR.
The police said the FIR was not registered as the excavators were not in their possession and they could not be brought to the police station. On the other hand, the police ‘allowed’ the sand miners to move away the machines, the sources said. The police had also released two two-wheelers seized and kept in the police station, they claimed.
Meanwhile, hearing a public interest litigation, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court stayed quarrying at Kadugusandai.
The court also stayed quarrying at Poolankulam, passing interim orders on another petition.