TN: Illegal structures found on PRP premises

Huge buildings have been constructed on the premises of PRP Exports without proper permission from the Local Town Planning Department which is chaired by the District Collector, investigations by the special teams formed to probe illegal granite quarrying cases have revealed.

Highly-placed sources said that the PRP management had raised about 20 buildings, including the sheds and factories, on an area of 1, 75,000 sq ft on their premises, while they had obtained permission from the panchayat board for constructions on only an area of 14,000 sq ft.

“PRP Exports obtained the panchayat’s approval for constructions on a lesser area and basic facilities were not provided in them as mandated by the Town Planning and Factories Act,” said an official.

Meanwhile, the district administration has sought a report from the Town Planning Department on PRP Exports . A letter has also been sent to the management to clarify on the violations in their buildings.

While police crackdown on granite barons is on, the district administration is in the process of conducting a survey of granite blocks and identifying violations with help of various departments and bodies such as the TNEB, PWD, Factories, Labour, PCB and Forest.

In the course of action, the Forest Department too had identified violations in PRP.  A Forest department official said that the firm had not obtained proper license and permission for the saw mill on their premises.

“The PRP management had regularly imported wood from New Zealand that is inserted between polished marbles to prevent  scratches. Though they can use the wood, they have to obtain  permission to run a wood saw mill on their premises,” said the  official.

Meanwhile, 20 teams have started evaluation work at Keelavalavu, where a large number of granite blocks are said to have been stashed.

Officials on Wednesday found 30 tipper lorries and trucks at a Keelavalavu quarry. Of these, five did not bear the registration numbers.

The Regional Transport Officer (North) was directed to seize the vehicles, sources added.