Post News Network
Berhampur, June 24: Even as the city remained in news for playing host to a number of manufacturing units producing fake materials, another similar case has come to the light when an illegal cement factory was busted in the city Wednesday evening.
Police conducted a raid on the unit and seized 99 sacks of spurious cement packed under the brand name of ‘Konark’. The cement godown was sealed and the factory owner detained.
Police also seized 44 original sacks of Jaypee cement which was mixed with fake materials to prepare sub-standard cement. Acting on a tip-off, police conducted a raid Wednesday on the illegal cement manufacturing unit in Machhabandha area under Gosain Nuagaon police station in Ganjam district. The factory owner was identified as Buddhia Bisoyi (23).
Plastic packets used for packing cement, cement powder and equipment used for packaging were seized from the manufacturing unit.
According to police, Bisoyi had engaged people to collect waste cement powder and crystallised cement from several godowns. The collected material was processed and mixed with Jaypee cement to produce sub-standard cement. The ratio was 1:3. The product was then packed in plastic sacks with brand name of ‘Konark DSP’ and sold in the market. The price was same as that of Konark brand.
Dealers of Konark Cement were suspicious about circulation of spurious cement under the brand name in the market as the stock of cement of the particular branch increased in the market in the last several months. They had lodged a complaint with the police in this regard.
Police started investigations into the matter on the basis of the complaint and later, conducted a raid on the unit at Machhabandha and busted it. Additional tehsildar Shashanka Shekhar Patra was in charge of the magistrate during the raid. It may be mentioned here that a fake gutkha manufacturing unit, spice factory and an oil factory were busted in the city earlier.
