Andhra Pradesh state government to keep tabs on granite quarries

Srikakulam: The state government has decided to install closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras at granite quarries to prevent the revenue loss as most of the quarry owners are shifting the granite blocks to polishing units through shortcuts without paying royalty.

At present, seigniorage (royalty) is being collected from quarry owners on the basis of their quantity in cubic meters. But the state government has decided to collect tax on granite blocks basing on the weight of the block.

Already, the government increased seigniorage by 50 per cent in the name of levy of consideration. But most of the quarry owners are shirking the payment of the tax by moving the blocks illegally.

The new guidelines issued by the director of mines and geology department state that CCTV cameras must be installed at the quarry and the vehicles which are used to transport granite should be equipped with the GPS system. The movement of the vehicles should be monitored through Mineral Vehicle Tracking System till it reached to nearest weighbridge. The department added that only after fulfilment of the above conditions, mines and geology officials will grant e-Permit to the vehicles to transport granite.

Srikakulam district has 100 granite quarries in Tekkali, Nandigama, Saravakota, Pathapatnam, Kotabommali mandals.

Mines and geology assistant director R Rajesh Kumar said that they have issued notices to the granite quarries' owners to install CCTV at the quarry.