Probe into Lapses in Mining, Transportation of Minerals From NTR District

Vijayawada: The mines authorities would conduct an inquiry to identify lapses in mining and transportation of road metal and gravel in the leased-out areas in three pockets -- Ibrahimpatnam of Kondapalli area, Loya Area and Paritala in NTR district.

This follows an incident at the Vedurupavuluru toll gate, where some truck drivers refused to make payments.

There are nearly 170 lease holders in the areas involved in mining of road metal and gravel and these are supplied to parts of East and West Godavari and Krishna districts.

The mines department has authorised a private firm called AMR India Ltd to collect seigniorage from the vehicles transporting quarried minerals from the area and check vehicles on behalf of the government.

For this, the firm pays `10 crore per month to the mines department.

The wet mixture is meant for road-laying works for the government.

The AMR India issues free transit forms to the vehicles transporting this subject to payment once the government finalises the bills.

For other materials meant for private works, the firm issues transit forms and collects seigniorage.

On October 4, some18 empty tipper trucks from Chinthalapudi village in Eluru district attempted to cross the Vedurupavuluru toll gate without paying toll while on their way to Kondapalli to collect wet mixture and return to the village.

As this caused a disruption at the toll gate, the police intervened and slapped a fine of `10,000 for each vehicle.

The mining authorities say that wet mixture comprising 6mm stones with stone dust is meant only for government works -- like laying roads-- and the vehicles will be given free transit form subject to payment later.

The tipper trucks’ drivers admitted to the police that they were not having any free transit forms and also documents like registration certificate, insurance and driving licence.

With this, suspicion arises whether there is illegal diversion of such material meant for government works, and whether these are landing with any private firms instead, and whether these entities were avoiding payment of seigniorage.

NTR district mines deputy director Srinivas Kumar said, “We assign some areas to the lease-holders on payment of royalty. We will take up an inquiry to see if there’s any violation of norms on mining and transportation of road metal, in view of the incident at the Vedurupavuluru toll gate on Sunday.”

Meanwhile, Telugu Desam president Palla Srinivasa Rao enquired with the party MLA from Denduluru, Chinthamaneni Prabhakar, as to how his name was mentioned by the tipper trucks drivers as being the owner of these vehicles, when they attempted to avoid payment of toll.

This caused considerable confusion and embarrassment to the TD leadership.

Subsequently, however, the drivers said the vehicles belonged to a firm linked to Suravarapu Jaya Krishna Ram.