Odisha Govt Suspends Gunupur Tehsildar After 3 Deaths In Illegal Stone Quarry Blast

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Wednesday suspended Gunupur tehsildar Laxminarayan Sabat in connection with the loss of three lives in a blast at a stone quarry at Okilguda under Gunupur police limits in Odisha’s Rayagada district.

“During the period of suspension, the headquarters of Sabat shall be at Collectorate, Rayagada,” the order issued by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department said.

He has been directed not to leave the headquarters without the prior permission of the Rayagada Collector.

The Collector had earlier suspended Gunupur Assistant Revenue Inspector (ARI) Anup Kumar Martha and recommended disciplinary action against Sabat for allegedly having failed to take action against illegal stone quarrying at Okilguda.

Three workers, including a woman, had died after being hit by stone pieces following the explosion at the stone quarry on October 16. Six others had sustained critical injuries in the blast.

The quarry was allegedly operating without a valid lease and the explosives were obtained illegally from Andhra Pradesh.