The Baleswar district administration on Tuesday took 12 sand quarrying patches on the Subarnarekha riverbed into its control from West Bengal mafias at different places during a raid in the Jaleswar area. A team of officials comprising Jaeswar Tehsildar Rajanikant Biswal, Baliapal Tehsildar Pratap Chandra Beuria and SDPO Satyanarayan Mallick with support of six platoons of police conducted raids on some patches at Raibania under Jaleswar teshil in the presence of district Collector Sanatan Mallick.
The team also dismantled eight quarrying units and many machines which were being run by the said mafias. It has been alleged that since long that mafias from border villages of West Bengal have been lifting sand from Subarnarekha riverbed at different places inside Odisha.
The 12 riverbed patches from near Dakshin Praharajpur, Berasaid and Totapada villages were brought under control, sources said. Notably, police had arrested three persons on the charge of lifting sand illegally and seized a JCB machine from them on February 11. The arrested were identified as natives of West Bengal.
“Mafias belonging to West Bengal had been quarrying huge quantity of sand with powerful machines from areas under Odisha despite earlier action and warnings. Hence, the raid was conducted,” district Collector Mallick said, informing that he has appraised Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue Taradutt about the development.
He further informed that forces were still deployed at the said patches because of the palpable tension. “The illegal practice had been going on for at least 20 years. We would auction those patches this year and expect to earn revenue of around Rs 30 crore. We are also planning to initiate similar action in Mankadia village where four patches are under the grip of West Bengal sand mafias,” Tehsidlar Biswal said.