The team, comprising of representatives of the departments of revenue, environment, forests geology and mining, will look into illegal mining of minerals — garnet, ilmenite and rutile — in the district.

"The special team is directed to complete the inspections expeditiously and submit its report to the government within a month," the order said.

The order comes days after the controversial transfer of Tuticorin district collector Ashish Kumar. The bureaucrat, who undertook inspections of some of the leased areas of mining and minerals, had alleged large-scale illicit beach sand mining in the district.

The state government removed the district collector the day he conducted raids on the sites, including that of VV Mineral, owned by highly influential mineral exporter V Vaikundarajan. The collector's removal triggered widespread protest from various quarters.

Kumar reported to the government that detailed field inspections be undertaken by special team consisting of officials from the departments of revenue, police, environment and forests, and geology and mining to probe the illegal mining of beach minerals by lessees.

Upon receiving recommendations from the commissioner for geology and mining on Friday, the government directed Tuticorin district collector M Ravikumar, who assumed charge on Thursday, to direct all lessees of minerals in the district to stop the mining operations pending completion of the inspections by the special team. The assistant director (mines), Tuticorin, is directed to stop issuing transport permits to the six lessees till the inspections are completed.