In a bid to unearth alleged large-scale irregularities in beach and sand mining running up to several hundred crores in Thoothukudi district, the TN government has constituted a special team headed by revenue secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi to inspect and verify whether there is illicit mining by six lessees of minerals in the district.
The team is directed to complete the inspections expeditiously and submit its report to the government within a month. Officials said the special team had been constituted as per the directions of chief minister Jayalalithaa subsequent to the report received by the director of geology and mining by the then Thoothukudi collector Ashish Kumar August 8. The special team will consist of officials of departments of revenue, police, environment and forests, geology and mining, according to the order issued by industries department Wednesday.