Pudukottai: Tamil Nadu Mineral Resources Minister S. Regupathy on Sunday assured full government protection to former IAS officer U. Sagayam, who had investigated the multi-crore granite scam and recently raised concerns about his safety.
Speaking to media in Pudukottai, Regupathy stated, “The government will not allow anyone to intimidate the former IAS officer. It will always stand by those who come forward to speak the truth.” His remarks follow a special court’s decision to allow Sagayam to appear via video conference due to security concerns.
Sagayam, known for his role in exposing large-scale illegal granite mining in Madurai during his tenure, had expressed apprehensions about personal safety ahead of his court appearance, prompting renewed focus on the case and calls for protection of whistleblowers.
Commenting on his new portfolio, Regupathy revealed that a stakeholder meeting on Saturday addressed concerns surrounding mineral pricing and accessibility. He attributed the recent hike in land fees for mining activities to directives from the Union government and court rulings. “This is the primary reason behind the rising prices of construction materials,” he explained.
The minister added that while prices of manufactured sand (m-sand) and blue metal sand (b-sand) had increased earlier, corrective measures had led to a reduction. “The government is committed to reducing prices further wherever feasible,” he said.
The granite scam, uncovered in 2012, involved alleged illegal quarrying in Madurai district and triggered a major political and bureaucratic storm. Sagayam, appointed as legal commissioner by the Madras High Court, submitted a detailed report estimating losses to the state exchequer in the thousands of crores.
About U Sagayam
Mr Sagayam joined the Central Secretariat Service in 1989 after qualifying through the Civil Services Examination. After getting inducted, training and then after working for 7 months in New Delhi, Sagayam voluntary resigned from the Central Secretariat Service. He later took the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission exams and was appointed in the Tamil Nadu State Civil Service. After attaining seniority in the service, he was promoted to Indian Administrative Service in 2001 batch. he has served as Vice Chairman of Science City Chennai.
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