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Granite scam worth 1 lakh cr: RTI activists
The case of illegal granite quarrying in Madurai district is snowballing into a major scam with police arresting four officials for helping owners of quarry and granite companies to mine Government lands. Though the official loss to the State Government is put at Rs16,000 crore, RTI activists claim it could cross the Rsone lakh crore mark. Durai Dayanaidhi Alagiri, son of Union Minister and DMK strongman MK Alagiri, is also an accused in the case.
Tamil Nadu police arrested four senior Government officers during the last two days in connection to the scam. Teams appointed by the district collector found that the officials helped companies like Olympus Granites (allegedly owned by Durai Dayanidhi) and others to mine Government lands violating all norms. The probe was ordered by the Tamil Nadu Government following a report submitted by then Madurai district collector U Sagayam that the exchequer has lost more than Rs16,000 crore as a result of illegal quarrying and mining of granites from various places in the district. PR Palanisami, owner of PRP Exports and a billionaire with political connections, has been arrested and his company sealed.
The case of illegal granite quarrying in Madurai district is snowballing into a major scam with police arresting four officials for helping owners of quarry and granite companies to mine Government lands. Though the official loss to the State Government is put at Rs16,000 crore, RTI activists claim it could cross the Rsone lakh crore mark. Durai Dayanaidhi Alagiri, son of Union Minister and DMK strongman MK Alagiri, is also an accused in the case.
Tamil Nadu police arrested four senior Government officers during the last two days in connection to the scam. Teams appointed by the district collector found that the officials helped companies like Olympus Granites (allegedly owned by Durai Dayanidhi) and others to mine Government lands violating all norms. The probe was ordered by the Tamil Nadu Government following a report submitted by then Madurai district collector U Sagayam that the exchequer has lost more than Rs16,000 crore as a result of illegal quarrying and mining of granites from various places in the district. PR Palanisami, owner of PRP Exports and a billionaire with political connections, has been arrested and his company sealed.
