Khurda: Minor minerals like gravel, laterite stone and black granite are rampantly being extracted in Khurda district in blatant violation of Orissa Minor Mineral Concession Rules of 2016, but crackdown on the illegal quarrying has become a risky affair for the administrative officials who frequently come under the attack of the mining mafia.
There were several instances of attack, life threats and murder attempts made on the administrative officials while carrying out crackdowns on the illegal quarrying. In some cases, mining mafia in connivance with women suppress the voice of the tehsil officials by threatening to implicate them in false cases.
On the contrary, the illegal activities are going on with little or no action from the police officials who allegedly show undue favour to the mining mafia. There were several instances of police officials refusing to accept complaints of tehsildars who face attacks while conducting crackdowns on the illegal quarrying.
Khurda tehsildar Suvendu Kumar Samal and Tangi tehsildar Asish Kumar Jena escaped a violent attack by mining mafia Wednesday. The two officials with the help of police force carried out a crackdown on illegal mining at Patrapada in Tangi tehsil Wednesday. However, the mafia tried to kill them by running an earthmover over them. The mafia also snatched away one earthmover, eight power tillers while four trucks were seized during the crackdown in the presence of police force.
One and a half years back, former Jatni tehsildar Bijay Swain was attacked while conducting raids on illegal mining in Kantia Mouza. Similarly, mining mafia had held a former tehsildar, Shantanu Mohanty, at gunpoint and snatched away the seized items from him three months back.
Tangi tehsil area is said to be more attack-prone zone in the district. Mining mafia here had attacked tehsildar Asish Jena twice and attempted to kill him. Although Jena lodged complaints in this regard, the police reportedly put the files in the cold storage with no action against the accused as of now.
According to sources, there are many laterite and gravel mines in Khurda, Banpur, Tangi, Begunia and Bolgarh tehsil area in the district. Earlier, the state government used to earn over Rs 40 lakh annually from those mines. However, auction of the mines remained suspended for the past four years due to some legal issues. It has created ground for the mining mafia to illegally extract the minerals.
Some government officials, people’ representatives and local people are allegedly involved in the illegal activities. As a result, curb on the illegal quarrying has become a hard nut for the administrative officials.
PNN