Political Patronage Key For Granite Quarrying And Transportation In Chittoor District
Political influence is allegedly shaping granite quarrying and transport in Chittoor, with unauthorised operations and invoice manipulation causing revenue losses to AP.
Political backing is said to be influencing granite quarrying and transportation in parts of the erstwhile Chittoor district. Quarry licensees have to reportedly reach financial understandings with influential leaders to begin quarrying and then transporting granite without “facing problems.”
An offshoot of the practice is thriving unauthorised quarrying, with the AP government losing revenues.
Officials familiar with the issue, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that understanding with local political leaders is essential for licensees or the unlicensed to quarry, transport, or polish granite.
Chittoor district has 665 mining leases, 531 of them for granite. Quarrying is currently being carried out at around 275 locations, sources said. More than 100 unauthorised quarries are also believed to be operating in the district.
Involvement of politicians surfaced recently when the Mining department intervened in favour of a licensee at Tumminda. The Karnataka-based businessman had recently received a license to quarry a mine earlier operated by a YSRC leader. The businessman complained to the state government that a ruling party leader is demanding ₹3 crore before he can take control of the quarry.
Another example is of Nayanicheruvu. Quarrying is continuing on revenue lands despite officials stopping the activity several times following complaints, sources said.
A senior ruling-party leader, who is opposed to such illegal operations, said the issue had been brought to the notice of the state government. “Political leaders should not be allowed to interfere in mining activities or protect those violating rules. Illegal quarrying should be stopped irrespective of political affiliations," the leader maintained, seeking anonymity. He confessed that political leaders and intermediaries receive monthly payments from quarry operators in Chittoor, G.D. Nellore, and Chandragiri areas.
Revenue loss to the AP government during transportation is another issue. Sources said granite being moved from the district to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka is sometimes transported using invoices from other states, instead of locally generated invoices. Transporters allegedly pay around ₹6,000 for each such invoice, while a local invoice would involve around ₹15,000–₹20,000 in GST for a load, sources said.
Nearly 70–80 lorry loads a day are allegedly being moved using Tamil Nadu invoices, resulting in a revenue loss to the state government. Sources said transporters prefer this arrangement as the lower cost helps them save money. The outside invoices help the vehicles avoid scrutiny during transportation.
These allegations have raised questions of enforcement by the Mining, Revenue, and Commercial Taxes departments. Manipulation of invoices is said to be continuing despite the potential loss of crores of rupees in government revenue.
