Sajanagarh: Amid allegations of rampant illegal stone mining in Nilagiri tehsil of Balasore district, a raid was conducted on an illegal stone crushing unit in Baghmara locality under Jamudiha panchayat Thursday.
A team of officials comprising Nilagiri sub-collector Harish Chandra Jena, tehsildar Ashesh Kumar Nayak, revenue and pollution control board officials conducted the raid. Except for the pollution certificate, the owner of the unit failed to produce other documents required to run the unit. During investigation it was found out that the workers did not have labour cards and had been employed illegally.
Sources said that forest officials and stone mafia have formed an unholy nexus in the district and regularly carry out illegal stone quarrying which poses a threat to wildlife. In spite of the locals regularly urging the district administration to take strict action, nothing has happened so far.
Jena said that strict action would be taken against the owner of the unit if he fails to provide proper documents within the next three days. Nayak on the other hand informed that raids will continue to unearth more illegal stone crushing units.
PNN