CHENNAI: CPI state secretary R Mutharasan on Friday sought the chief minister's intervention to scrap the state government's plan to auction granite quarries at Melur in Madurai.

In a statement, he said that the state government's Mineral Resources department has announced that it would set up multi-coloured queries at Sekipatti, Ayyapatti and Tiruchunai in Mellur taluk in the Madurai district.

"Auction has been scheduled to be held on October 31 for the license of these quarries. The public, who have been protesting against the setting up of granite quarries in Melur areas, have been engaged in a sit-in protest since October 26. Talks by government representatives about the need to set up quarries in the area failed to pacify the protesters, " he said, seeking the chief minister's intervention to stop the granite quarries auction immediately.

He recalled the illegal granite quarrying scam exposed by IAS office U Sagayam in 2012. "The Madras High Court has appointed Sagayam to head the commission of inquiry into the granite quarrying in Madurai. His report revealed that the government suffered a revenue loss to the tune of Rs 1.10 lakh crore. The granite quarrying was banned in 2012 and over 200 cases were filed in Melur alone, " he said.