Cuttack, May 13: Orissa High Court has directed the state government to clarify whether temporary transit permits issued by tehsildars to quarry sand on riverbanks violated the Odisha Minor Mineral Concession (Amendment) Rule 2014.

A division bench of Chief Justice Vineet Saran and Justice B.R. Sarangi gave the direction on a petition which alleged that sand was being illegally quarried from Baitarani river at Turumunga under Patna tehsil in Keonjhar district on the basis of a transit permit.

The petition alleged that the tehsildar, for the past one year, had been granting temporary transit permits to extract the minor mineral on a monthly basis without any mining plan and environmental clearance in the lease agreement, which is mandatory under the amended rules.

Md Nasir Husen, 42, a resident of Chadhaibhole within Ghosoda police limits, filed the petition seeking direction for auction of the sand quarry in Turumunga following the amended provisions of the Orissa Minor Mineral Concession (Amendment) Rule 2014.

In its order yesterday, the high court issued a notice to the principal secretary of the revenue department and collector to file a response when the court reopened after summer vacation on June 20.

The collector is expected to file an affidavit stating under what authority the tehsildar had been issuing temporary transit permits on the basis of the old Orissa Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 2004.

"The next hearing will be in the first week of July. The court has sought clarification from the state government," said petitioner counsel Pravat Ranjan Dash. "The case is significant as tehsildars in different parts are also issuing transit permits for sand quarrying from rivers in violation of the rules," he said.