Barang: Some influential persons have been quarrying stones and gravel illegally from hills spread over three villages under Chandaka police limits on the city outskirts.
Police and officials of Bhubaneswar tehsil and Revenue department have turned a blind eye to the illegal stone quarrying.
According to sources, some people have been quarrying stones illegally from Padapadma hills that spread over Andharua, Jagannathprasad and Daspur mouza. The stone mafia deployed several earthmovers, tractors and trucks to quarry stones and supply them to various places.
The illegal quarrying has led to several large pits on around 30 acre are of the hills. “The forest cover in the locality has suffered a lot due to illegal stone quarrying. Besides, the state government is losing revenue worth lakhs of rupees. The tehsil and Revenue department officials are quite aware of illegal quarrying at Padapadma hills but they seldom bother to take any action against the stone mafia,” said a villager.
The villagers also claimed that the stone mafia have been supplying gravel and soil illegally from the locality to some construction sites.
Andharua gram panchayat sarpanch Dillip Tarai said they have raised the illegal stone quarrying issue with Chandaka police, Bhubaneswar tehsildar and Revenue department officials several times but to no avail.
When contacted, Chandaka revenue inspector Dukhishyam Swain said he came to know about the issue recently. “I would soon visit the spot,” he added.
Chandaka police in-charge Devendra Biswal expressed his ignorance over illegal stone quarrying at Padapadma hills.