Continuous news coverage in The Pioneer about illegal functioning of stone crusher units in Khariar tehsil of Nuapada district has led to a detailed investigation and initiation of action against former Khariar Tehsildar Gopalswami Naidu, presently working the as the Sub-Collector of Nabarangpur.
Nuapada Collector Md Sidiq Alam had issued a show-cause notice to Naidu in June alleging that Naidu had allowed illegal functioning of a crusher unit named Mahalaxmi Stone Crusher at Baddohel village of Khariar tehsil. A district-level team consisting of an Executive Magistrate and police personnel had found that the crusher unit was procuring minor minerals without having any valid quarry lease or any authentic source for procurement.
The No-Objection Certificate (NOC) issued to the quarry in the year 2003 was thus cancelled by the Collector and the show-cause notice was issued to Naidu for negligence, dereliction of Government duty and paving way with malafide intention for loss of Government revenue.
The Collector has issued another show-cause notice to Naidu on August 16. “As such, the charges proposed to be levelled against you vide this office show-cause notice No-617 dated 29.06.2016 hold intact. Therefore, you are hereby asked to submit second “Show Cause” as to why departmental proceedings shall not be initiated against you.” stated the second notice.
Naidu has been given seven days’ time to answer the notice, failing which it is stated that the Revenue Department shall be moved for initiation of departmental proceedings against him.
The Collector in his second notice has summarily rejected the explanation submitted by Naidu stating that the explanation was not satisfactory. “You have nothing to submit satisfactory explanation in this regard; you have tried to submit unnecessary facts which are not related to the ground of charges,” the second notice states.
Naidu in his three-page answer and 14-page annexure to the first show-cause notice had not mentioned a single line about the illegal procurement of minor minerals by the Mahalaxmi Stone Crusher.
Public, however, is apprehensive. “We don’t think action will be taken against the erring officer. Investigation and inquiry are just eyewash. What action was taken against Tarini Stone Crusher of Jholpathar, which is still running illegally by breaking the sealIJ” asks a villager of Jholpathar requesting anonymity.
The investigating team deputed by the Collector to inquire about illegal operation had mentioned that the Tarini Stone Crusher managed had manipulated the seal of the crusher in such a manner that the seal could be removed and re-fixed as and when necessary. But interestingly, no criminal action has been initiated against the offender, who has broken the seal thrice and running the crusher illegally.
