The Supreme Court has issued a final notice to Tamil Nadu and three other states, directing them to respond within six weeks regarding the illegal sand mining case. If the states fail to respond within this period, a fine of ā¹20,000 will be imposed.The case, which seeks to curb illegal sand mining and revoke the licenses of those involved, was filed by M. Alagarsamy from Tamil Nadu. The hearing took place before Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Sanjay Kumar.
Representing the petitioner, lawyer Prashant Bhushan argued that the case was filed in 2018. In 2019, the Supreme Court directed the central government, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and five states to respond.
Among the states, only Punjab has submitted a response. Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh have yet to comply. Bhushan highlighted the significant loss to the government and the adverse impact on the environment and public welfare due to illegal sand mining. He urged immediate action to address the issue.
Following these arguments, the bench stated:
“The four states must submit their responses within six weeks regarding this matter. If they fail to do so, a fine of ā¹20,000 will be imposed. Although the fine is nominal, it serves to remind these states of their responsibility.”
The hearing concluded with this directive from the bench.