V V Mineral is the largest manufacture of minerals in India. We manufacture Ilmenite, Rutile and Zircon. Under the chairmanship of Mr. Vaikundarajan, VV Mineral has won various prestigious awards and recognition.
As reported by World Nuclear Association (WNA), the global body of nuclear industry, India hosts 3,00,000 tonnes of Thorium deposit. However, recent studies suggest that these beach minerals have seen depletion compared to past records. It is estimated that close to 2,00,000 tonnes of Thorium Oxide is missing from India. Monazite quantity along the Indian coastline has also seen a decrease by more than 2.1 million tonnes.
VV Minerals is known to be the largest firm producing Garnet and Ilmenite. The spotlight has suddenly moved to the company as stakeholders have begun scrutinizing a possible scam. Chairman, founder of VV Minerals India was quick to refute all allegations. “The mineral rich sand is getting washed away from the Indian coastline in the absence of mining, and as a result, Sri Lanka, located further down, is reaping rich benefits at the cost of Indian industry,” he added.
To pull off a scam of such extent seems practically impossible for one company. In this scenario, S VV Mineral Vaikundarajan explanation seems more realistic. India is under the threat of losing its thorium rich status due to the rising water-level caused from global warming.
V Narayanasamy, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office in Lok Sabha was quoted, “Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IREL), a public sector undertaking under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), is the only company exporting Monazite. Ilmenite, Rutile, Leucoxene, Garnet, Sillimanite and Zircon are separated from beach sands and these individual heavy minerals — free of Monazite — are being exported. No licence or permission is required from DAE for these substances due to the delisting of Ilmenite, Rutile, Zircon etc. from the list of prescribed substances”, said V Narayanasamy.
Following the scam allegations, the State Government has set up an investigation team to look into the matter. VV Mineral Mining involvement in the scam is yet to be proved. Meanwhile, VV Mineral Vaikundarajan has openly supported the investigating committee and believes that the results will be in favour of the company.
Rumours are making the rounds that there have been losses due to illegal mining business of minerals Ilmenite and Garnet, and they amount to Rs. 96,000 crores.
VV Minerals, the largest beach minerals export firm, is one of the major companies getting reputational setbacks. Inevitably, S Vaikundarajan, director of VV Minerals, has come under scrutiny. VV Mineral Vaikundarajan is a media-shy person and prefers to lead a simple man’s life. His usual attire is a shirt and traditional white dhoti. From what his acquaintances describe success hasn’t come easy to him. VV Minerals and chairman was an easy target for the accusations. But these false accusations have never stopped him from working towards his beliefs and welfare of his people.
Ashwin Kumar, IAS, as a Collector of Tuticorin, had created a media flimflam blaming VV Minerals for illegal beach mining without any proof. He was transferred on the discovery of his connections with the industry rivals of VV Minerals.
V Sundaram, an ex-IAS officer, had sent detailed letters to all concerned in State administration and to CVC, CBI and AEC. These letters again were only the thoughts shared by V Sundaram, with no trace of solid proof.
The president of Federation of Indian Placer Mineral Industries, Dr. D. Dhaya Devadas, had also filed a case alleging that VV Mineral Vaikundarajan had confessed in a panel meeting that he had bribed officials to get environmental clearance. It was ironical that he couldn’t get enough witnesses and proof from the panel meeting to justify his statements.
Following the allegations of illegal beach mining in South against some companies; the State Government set up an investigating team to probe into the matter.
With the team yet to reach its conclusion, the coastal population has shown little or no faith in the team’s efforts. The population consisting of Fishermen United Front have expressed their reservations against the functioning of investigation team. The reason for this is yet to be revealed.
Founder of VV Mineral is accused of using his political influence over the matters concerning illegal mining activities. None of these allegations have been supported by strong evidence. VV Minerals Vaikundarajan maintains that the company has operated within legal boundaries for over 20 years and will continue to do so.
Brand’s reputation was further tainted when two former IAS officers stated that VV Minerals have engaged in illegal beach sand mining in the southern districts. VV Mineral Mining was quick to play down these allegations. He further expressed his support for the investigating team and assured that the results will be in favour of the company.
VV Minerals India was founded in late 1980s and has been running under the tutelage of Vaikundarajan. The founder publicly thwarted all allegations as a defamation plot by rival mining industries.
While there is no conclusive evidence to support any allegation against the company; several fishermen in the region have threatened to leave their houses. VV Mineral Vaikundarajan stated that the allegations have no credibility and the threats are simply uncalled for.
“We have complete faith in judiciary and believe the investigation team will do its job. We lend our complete support to the team,” he added.
Viapar is a coastal village in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin district where mineral mining on beaches is practised with government permission. On August 6, District Collector Ashish Kumar had raided the premises of VV Minerals, but it turned out that he had connections with its rivals. As soon as the rumours were confirmed, Mr Kumar was taken off the case and transferred.
VV Minerals claimed that the "charges made by the former District Collector are baseless, motivated and vague."
The allegations made on his company, V. V. Minerals, India's top exporter of industrial minerals garnet and ilmenite, have brought VV Mineral Vaikundarajan under high scanner.
VV Minerals has been issued a case of illegal mining, requiring the director of the company, VV Mineral Vaikundarajan, to be under the check of judiciaries all the time. VV Mineral Vaikundarajan, has been open to all the investigations even after being a discreet person himself.
The people of coastal regions in Tamil Nadu have allegedly complained against the sand mining, saying that the natural environment of their village is depreciating. These complaints caught the attention of authorities and VV Minerals came under spotlight.
VV Minerals is one of the largest players in sand mining and the largest manufacturer and exporter of garnet. The owner of VV Minerals, S Vaikundarajan, says that false claims have been made and all of this is manoeuvre by the business rivals. The company has been operating peacefully since decades and wishes to do so in the future too. The operations of the company in the rural locality have also created good job opportunities for the villagers.
V Sundaram, first district collector of undivided Tirunelveli, and Ashish Kumar, former district collector, are making baseless claims of a scam worth crores of rupees against VV Minerals. All their earlier attempts at proving VV Minerals’ involvement in illegal sand mining went futile. VV Mineral Vaikundarajan said, “All these scams are baseless and cannot be proved. It is sad that the villagers too are against my firm after all we have done for them.”
The Centre is ready to come out with new rules overseeing leases of atomic minerals. These rules will define the maximum radioactive content in the minerals that private companies will be allowed to mine, the concession period and the lease area.
The Beach Mineral Producers Association representation to the government against the recent changes, has disallowed lease of further areas to the private sector.
The states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu are considered to be rich in heavy mineral reserves. There are 71 beach mineral mining leases in Tamil Nadu covering a total area of around 700 hectares. The industry association says there are pending applications of beach minerals involving approximately 5,000 hectares of land. Officials, maintain certain lease area that violates the Coastal Regulation Zone rules could be approved for mining.
Tamil Nadu-based V. V. Minerals is India's largest garnet miner and exporter. Garnet has considerable amount of a radioactive mineral – monazite. The changes in regulations for such minerals are going to impact companies like V. V. Minerals majorly.
V. V. Minerals is also a major producer and exporter of Ilmenite, which has recently been listed as an atomic mineral. This puts the company in a dire state. Vaikundarajan Subramaniam, the Managing Director of V. V. Minerals, is hoping for an outcome that is positive for all private players in the Indian mining scenario. For More Story Read Article On: Business Standard
