Appeal on granite probe was to prevent delay: TN CM

Amid demands from DMK that orders be issued to enable U Sagayam to go ahead with the probe into illegal granite quarrying, Chief Minister O Panneerselvam today said the government's appeal in the Madras High Court against appointing the IAS officer as legal commissioner was to prevent delay in the issue.
The Tamil Nadu government went on appeal against the Madras High Court order, appointing Sagayam as legal commissioner as the probe to bring out the scam was over and due legal processes were initiated against those involved, he said in a statement here.
Against such a background, "if a new person (Sagayam) is going to investigate, it will cause delay in the (process) of action already initiated," he said, adding government took the action as it felt his appointment was not necessary in the given situation.

Sagayam as then Madurai District Collector had submitted a report over alleged irregularities in granite mining and put the estimated loss to the exchequer at over Rs 16,000 crore.
On September 11, Madras High Court had appointed Sagayam as special officer/legal commissioner to probe alleged illegal granite quarrying in Tamil Nadu, but the state government filed a review petition contesting the order.
The Court, however, imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on the state government for not relieving Sagayam to probe the scam.
Responding to DMK chief M Karunanidhi's demand that orders be issued to enable Sagayam go ahead with the probe, the CM alleged it was during the DMK regime that a report was filed claiming no irregularities had taken place in granite mining.

"Only during the regime of Amma (as Jayalalithaa is addressed by her supporters) were irregularities detected and a report filed that irregularities had taken place," he added.