POST NEWS NETWORK
Hatadihi: Illegal stone and murram quarrying continues in parts of Hatadihi block in Keonjhar district and Bant block in Bhadrak district with impunity while the authorities look the other way. As no action is taken against the mafia, the government loses revenue worth crores of rupees.
Truckloads of laterite stone and murram are excavated in Kahaligadia under Hatadihi, Agarpada Mohatipada mouza under Bant block and Haripurratina area in Balasore district.
According to a rough estimate, illegal quarrying is carried on over a 50-acre area in three districts. Sources said over a hundred truckloads of laterite and murram are supplied from these areas to various destinations. Due to mindless quarrying, big pits and craters have come up in these areas posing serious danger to men and animals, locals alleged.
Tehsil offices have not leased out the area for laterite and murram quarrying in Bant and Hatadihi areas. Even as quarrying takes place in broad daylight, no tehsil officials have visited the area. Illegal stone quarrying and murram business continue here with tacit involvement of local politicians. This is one of the reasons why tehsil officials do not act against the mafia, local added.
Trucks carrying illegal stone and muram take a roundabout way to evade Soso check gate. The vehicles transport illegal minerals through Patata canal embankment.
Hatadidhi tehsil sources said only five places were leased out. Following allegations, a joint team of revenue, forest, pollution control board and police officials had visited the area September 30, 2014 to probe illegal quarrying. After the visit, the district administrations of Bhadrak, Balasore and Keonjhar were asked to form a 5-member team to check illegal activities.
Despite this such activities have not been stopped, local said.
Notably, two forest officials had been abducted September 13, 2014, as they had prevented illegal quarrying. The officials were later released with a warning while a forest guard was brutally assaulted December 23, 2014.
Fights have often erupted over a rivalry over illegal quarrying. A person injured in an incident was under treatment at a Cuttack-based hospital.
When contacted, Anadapur sub colector Maheswar Swain said he has heard about illegal excavation of murram and stone in border areas. He said he will talk to Bant tehsildar in this regard.
