The Madras high court has declined to interfere with the orders of the authorities imposing several crore of rupees as penalty on a batch of stone quarry units in Trisoolam and Kancheepuram that had allegedly indulged in illegal quarrying outside their leasehold area.
A division bench of Chief Justice M.Y. Eqbal and Justice T.S. Sivagnanam dismissed a batch of petitions from operators from Trisoolam, Keerapakkam and Edayam Kodumanthangal villages and directed them to approach the appellate authority.
The quarry owners had permits to quarry mine stone in the leasehold areas for 10 years. However, authorities unearthed large-scale illegal quarrying in government poromboke land abutting the leasehold areas.
The department sent individual showcause notices, followed by notices, imposing fine.
On receiving the notices, imposing penalty ranging from Rs 27.1 lakh to Rs 5.68 crore, the quarrry owners filed the petitions contending that they were not given adequate opportunity to explain their stand.
The court pointed out that showcause notices were given to them and the inspection was carried out in their presence.
“We do not agree with the contentions that there has been violation of principles of natural justice,” the bench said.
“We find no justification for the petitioners to bypass the appellate remedy,” it said.