Sand mafias have increased their illegal operations in Gajapati district of late. Even after repeated complaints, the Revenue Department is acting as a mute spectator.
Illegal transportation of sand in trucks and tractors is going nonstop throughout the year. It is alleged that the activities are going on under the very nose of the Revenue officials and the police.
The mafias are sending the sand to Andhra Pradesh in broad daylight which makes it pretty clear about a nexus between the Revenue officials and mafias.
The officials are completely violating a Supreme Court guideline by allowing illegal sand transportation to the neighbouring the State.
On January 8, when vehicles were off the road due to an all India trade union strike, sand mafias, however, had not stopped the transporting of sand from the Vamsadhara river of Kashinagar Block.
When Gajapati MVI Basanta Mohapatra was in night patrolling, he seized seven trucks for carrying overload sand. The RTO filed a case against those vehicle owners according to the Motor Vehicle Act and handed over the case to the Paralakhemundi Tehsildar and the local police.
Additional District Magistrate Laxmikanta Sethi said, “We will verify the documents of the seized vehicles. If it was overloaded with sand, it was the responsibility of RTO to seize the vehicles and file a case according to the Motor Vehicle and Transportation Act,” adding, “We will enforce a team with the help of police to monitor the illegal land transportation and stop it completely.”