SANGUEM: The mines department has directed a basalt stone quarry operator in Sanguem to pay Rs 1.22 crore towards royalty within one month, following the controversial extraction of basalt stones from a quarry in Uguem from 2008 to 2012.

Hit by this notice, efforts are now on to involve local politicians, in a desperate bid to get the government to reduce the royalty. Director of Mines and Geology, Prasanna Acharya, issued a demand notice, asking the quarry operator to make the payment towards royalty within one month from the date of the demand notice, failing which the amount would be recovered as arrears of land revenue.