Bhubaneswar: The Vigilance Directorate and forest officials conducted three separate raids and seized minor mineral as well as timber worth over Rs 56 lakh.
Acting on tip-off about illegal transportation of black granite stone from forest land, Forest Wing of Vigilance Directorate and Cuttack Vigilance Division with the assistance of local forest staff raided Dalijoda forest range near Gandhi Chhak along NH53 of Chandikhol in Cuttack district.
The teams seized two Haiwa vehicles loaded with black granite stones worth Rs 51.3 lakh. There was no valid permit/documents in support of minor minerals and therefore they violated the provision of the Minor Mineral Concession Rule, 2004,” said an official of the raid team.
In another incident, the teams raided two illegal furniture units at Shyamsundarpur and Angulei in Kendrapada district and seized timber worth Rs 3.05 lakh.
In the third incident, the teams raided two places at Baghuasahi and Tailangi in Jajpur district for illegal hoarding of timber and seized timber worth Rs 1.77 lakh.
