Kaptipada: Illegal murram mining has left the people fuming in Shalachua panchayat under this block in Mayurbhanj district.
The mafia has been excavating murram near Sunei minor irrigation project while the revenue administration has failed to take note of the illegality.
Locals alleged that the mafia has engaged 10 to 12 excavators and tractors and is supplying murram to different areas. As result, the government has been losing lakhs of revenue.
Alleging that some revue officials are conniving with the mafia in this illegal act, the locals said whenever they opposed the illegal excavation, they were threatened by the mafia.
Murram is used in a road construction project worth Rs 1.3 crore, but the work is botched up, locals said.
Murram excavation is also going on in the areas close to the Similipal sanctuary. Now, the forest and the revenue departments have stated accusing each other in the matter of checking illegal mining.
PNN