The Hindu: Kerala: Tuesday, January 30, 2018.
Says granite
quarry at Enadimangalam produced expired explosives licence
The Western
Ghats Protection Council (WGPC) has alleged serious flaws in the granting of
environment clearance for a granite quarry in Enadimangalam village in
Pathanamthitta district.
In a
statement issued here on Monday, WGPC district president Avinash
Palleenazhikathu said that the data collected by the council as per the Right
To Information Act showed that the authority concerned had issued the
environment clearance for granite quarrying at Kunnida in Enadimangalam on
January 20 whereas the expiry date of the explosives licence produced by the
applicant was March 31, 2017.
However, the
Revenue Divisional Officer at Adoor says that the licence produced by the
applicant was valid till 2022.
Expired
last March
But, the
licence uploaded on the website of the District-level Environment Impact
Assessment Authority shows its expiry date as March 31, 2017.
Mr.
Palleenazhikathu also alleged massive corruption in the Revenue Department issuing
no-objection certificate for earth and granite quarrying on 42 acres of
government land at Kannimala in Kadambanad village.
He told The
Hindu that RTI replies received by the council said that the Revenue
authorities were unable to provide details of this parcel of government fallow
land.
Documents
not available
The documents
of the land were not available at the taluk office and the village office, he
said.
There was a
government order that categorically prohibited setting up any industry under
the Red Category in such lands meant for agriculture, he alleged.
Mr.
Palleenazhikathu said that the WGPC would move the State Vigilance authority,
seeking a high-level inquiry into the entire issue.
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