Baripada: Amid reports of illegal sand mining in parts of Mayurbhanj district, leaseholders have also resorted to excessive mining in river ghats in two blocks.
This has caused a huge loss of revenue to the government while revenue officials have allegedly failed to take action in this regard.
Sand traders and some unscrupulous officials are raking in the moolah in the absence of action.
Reports said excessive sand mining has been taking place in river ghats of Dingara under Badasahi block and that of Mahulia under Shyamakhunta block.
Bhanjasena, a local outfit, has taken up the issue with the district administration. The outfit drew the attention of the sub-collector Monday towards the excessive mining.
The activists alleged that leaseholders violate the terms and conditions of lease agreements and carry out sand mining even outside their lease area. The revenue officials hardly check the sand-laden vehicles and their documents.
“Raids are being carried out occasionally and that too for a public show. Tractors are caught and fined while some vehicles operating without permits are set free despite violation of rules,” the activists alleged.
“Such illegal activities are going on in the constituency of the revenue minister. Some unscrupulous revenue officials are facilitating such excessive mining for their pecuniary gains at the cost of state coffers,” they pointed out.
The activists including Samant Sekhar Pal, Pintu Maiti, Rakesh Behera, Lal Bahadur Mohanty, Soumyaranjan Mishra, SJ Raj Khana and Amaresh Singh demanded that an investigation should be conducted into the ongoing excessive sand mining while river ghats where excessive mining is being carried out should be sealed.
