Sundargarh: Illegal sand mining has been rampant at different sand ghats of IB river passing near Sundargarh town. But, the administration is allegedly sitting pretty, a report said.
The tehsil administration has not yet completed the process of leasing out sand quarries while the mafia has been taking advantage of the situation. It is said that as construction activities and infrastructure development projects are in full swing in various parts of the district, sand has high demand in the area.
Sources said that work of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, roads, drains and other construction activities are being carried out in the civic body area. The executive officer of the Sundargarh municipality had urged the tehsildar October 19 seeking permission of lifting 1000 CM sand every day. The tehsildar had allowed owner of eight tractors to lift sand.
Now question arises how the tehsildar granted permission to tractor owners without leasing out the sand mines.
In view of this, sand mafia has been into the sand lifting activities while people keen on lease awaiting the lease process.
Owing to illegal sand mining, the government is losing huge amount of revenue.
Tehsildar Jogeswar Bhoi said there is official guideline to permit sand lifting for emergency official construction and development activities. The permission to the municipality will be cancelled, he added.
PNN