11 officials in trouble for ‘helping’ quarry owner encroach 80 acres in Theni

At least five officers from the Geology and Mining Department and another six from the Revenue Department are in a soup after the DVAC found out that they had connived together to ‘help’ a man running a gravel quarry in Theni to encroach upon 80 acres land for many years now.

The quarry owner, V Annaprakash, listed as an accused, was issued a licence in 2009 to take gravel from certain earmarked areas in Vadaveeranayakkanpatti village, Periyakulam, Theni.

As per the DVAC FIR, he illicitly took away gravel from places other than the permitted areas with the help of the officers, including former and current assistant directors from the Geology and Mining Department from 2011 onwards.

Information also revealed that approximately, more than 17,000 lorry loads of gravel were illicitly taken away between 2011-2018 and its value roughly is about more than Rs 3 crore, thus causing heavy loss to the government. The FIR further stated that, he still indulges in illicit quarrying in poromboke and patta lands and officers are allowing it.

Enquiries also revealed that the accused revenue department officials including tahsildars and VAOs used forgery to wrongfully measure government poromboke lands and issued Chitta, Adangal, Pattas and Joint Pattas to an extent of about 80 acres in Annaprakash’s name and his relatives between 2018-19.

Sources said Annaprakash this submitted the forged documents as genuine ones before the Sub-Registrar, Theni and registered the above lands in his nme and his relatives, the FIR said.