Jajpur: Hundreds of truckloads of black stones and metals from Bichhakhandi hills under Dharmasala block in Jajpur district are being transported to various places in the state even though there is a case which is sub judice in the state Lokayukta and investigations are underway by the state vigilance department.
Sources said efforts are on to derail the vigilance investigation. Questions are being raised on the efficiency and transparency in the work of the armed security guards who were appointed in the first week of June at the district level to check the loot of minor minerals from the Bichhakhandi hills.
The ongoing loot of the minerals proves that the administration has no power or will to check it. Lokayukta chairperson Justice Ajit Singh April 12, 2021 had ordered a Vigilance investigation of the loot of black stones and minor minerals from the Bicchakhandi hills and its adjoining forest land.
The order came after a hearing in this the matter (120/2021) was held. The Lokayukta ordered the vigilance to submit a preliminary report of the investigation in two months.
The vigilance began its inquiry May 13, 2021 and sought details of the minerals loot including excavation of black stones at the Bichhakhandi hills from the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB).
Regional officer of SPCB at Kalinganagar Pramod Kumar Behera said he has shared the details with the Vigilance department. However, even as the investigation is underway, it has not deterred the stone mafia from carrying out their loots from the hills.
So much so that the armed security guards exclusively created for this purpose by District Collector Chakravarty Singh Rathore look helpless. At the direction of the Additional Director General of Police (law and order) June 2, 2021, the District Collector had formed the armed security guards for this purpose.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Prafulla Kumar Mishra was designated as the nodal officer of the wing. The District Collector’s order said that the armed security personnel would help the revenue inspector in checking the transportation of the minor minerals.
That apart, it was ordered that all illegal crushers operating in the area will be immediately shut. The ones that have licenses will compulsorily install CCTV cameras and maintain a register.
There will be entries in the register on the inward and outward movement of the minerals in premises of the crusher. The concerned tehsildar was directed to verify the entries in the register and the CCTV footage and based on them will submit a report every 15 days.
In case there is mismatch of data in the register and the camera footage, strict actions will be taken against the concerned crusher owners.
In order to ensure foolproof monitoring of the work, sub-collector, tehsildar, Dharmasala and Darpana, SPCB regional officer of Kalinganagar, DDAM Jajpur Road, forest ranger of Dalijoda were directed to assist the armed security guards.
IICs of Dharmasala, Jenapur and Badchana were included in the team. One month has since passed but no remarkable results or actions have been heard from the works of the armed security guards.
On the contrary, mindless loot of minerals from the Bichhakhandi hills is continuing. In-charge tehsildar, Dharmasala, Debi Prasanna Mohanty said there have been raids by the armed security guards on the stone mafia.
Raids were also conducted on Barada hill in the night of June 30. He said nobody will dare to enter the Bichhakhandi hills and the illegal mining activities have completely stopped now.
PNN