Legislators get HC notice over mining

Vijayawada: The high court on Tuesday issued notices to three ruling party legislators, including minister for health Vidadala Rajini, in two separate petitions filed alleging illegal granite quarrying and sand mining. The high court directed to maintain status quo with respect to assigned lands in which alleged granite quarrying is about to commence and issued notices to Nandigama MLA Mondithoka Jaganmohan Rao and MLC Mondithoka Arun Kumar to file counter affidavits on the allegations of illegal sand mining and transportation to Telangana.J Punna Rao and 19 others filed writ petition challenging the No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued by Chilakaluripet tahsildar for granite mining, and the leases issued by mining department to start quarrying on 21 acres of land in survey number 33/3A and also in surrounding survey numbers. The petitioners argued that these lands were assigned to them since many years and they are under cultivation. The tahsildar issued NOC for granite mining without their knowledge.Arguing on behalf of the petitioners, VV Lakshmi Narayana said mining leases were granted to Veera Shiva Granites, and Dinesh Reddy Granites in which G Veera Pratap Reddy, uncle of Kadapa MP Avinash Reddy, was one of the directors. He said the leases were granted at the instance of Chilakaluripet MLA and health minister Rajini. The area that was given for mining is located close to a water body which is the drinking water source for surrounding areas and also closely located to residential areas. Mining leases cannot be given on such lands by taking away the livelihood of the assignees of the land, he argued. Considering the arguments of Lakshmi Narayana, Justice K Suresh Reddy directed the officials to maintain status quo on the lands in question and issued notices to Rajini, Veera Pratap Reddy and others. The revenue, police and mining department officials have been directed to file counter affidavits.In another PIL filed by advocate and founder president of ‘Telugu Rashtra Samiti’ party Jaibheem Srinivas, the high court issued notices to Jaganmohan Rao and Arun Kumar besides the officials of departments concerned. Srinivas argued that indiscriminate sand mining is going on without any permissions in Jonnalagadda, Kancharla, Itavaram, Gani Atkur and Magallu villages in Nandigama assembly constituency. Srinivas added more than 500 tippers have been transporting sand from these villages to Telangana every day but the officials turned a blind eye on them as they all belong to one G Bujji who is said to be the benami of Jaganmohan Rao and Arun Kumar.. The high court bench headed by Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice R Raghunandan Rao issued notices to all respondents to file counter affidavits.
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