Illegal Sand Mining: Tehsildar Files Police Complaint After Bhubaneswar MP Slams Govt

Courtesy: The New Indian Express

Bhubaneswar. Almost a month after BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi pointed out illegal sand mining from the river bed of Kuakhai, Bhubaneswar tehsildar has filed a complaint with police in this regard.

As per reports, the tehsildar has filed the complaint at Nandankanan police station through a letter on September 13. He has mentioned that a local youth of Kuakhai has been regularly lifting the sand from the river banks at night.

Identifying the youth as Pabitra Kumar Swain alias Braja, the tehsildar has stated that he has already smuggled around 60 cubic feet of sand from the river in tractors to different places. He said Braja was the mastermind of the illegal sand mining racket and sought action by the police as it was causing revenue loss for the government.

The police admitted to have received the complaint but are yet to take any action on the ground that no evidence has been furnished to substantiate the allegation. “We have received the complaint. But there is no proof in this regard. If any vehicle is caught while smuggling the sand, its owner would be penalised. If he is indulged in such activities regularly, we would file a case and take necessary action,” a local newspaper quoted IIC of Nandankanan police station Biswaranjan Nayak as saying.

It may be noted that BJP leader and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi had slammed the state government for allegedly allowing illegal sand mining from Kuakhai on the outskirts of the capital.

Speaking to the media on August 19, Sarangi alleged that a leaseholder in ‘collusion’ with a highly influential BJD leader had been carrying out illegal sand mining. The leaseholder was lifting thousands of tons of sand illegally day and night from the river banks.

“After the local people brought the matter to my notice, I visited the place several times. During my visit, the photographs and videos of the illegal activities were taken,” she had said.