Pujari assures action against sand mafia
Bhubaneswar: Revenue minister Suresh Pujari on Saturday said Odisha would not be allowed to follow the lawless path in sand operations like it is in Bihar and West Bengal, while responding to the recent assault of an additional tehsildar in Kaptipada block, Mayurbhanj district, by the sand mafia.
He promised stringent action against the sand mafia regardless of their connections, while speaking to mediapersons here on Saturday.
"The Kaptipada incident represents a serious escalation in conflict between law enforcement and the sand mafia. The attack on officers performing their enforcement duties is similar to Bihar and West Bengal, where criminals challenge state authority. The administration's commitment in curbing illegal sand trafficking faces violent resistance from well-organised criminal networks.
We pledged decisive action against both the direct perpetrators and their masterminds," said Pujari.
This zero-tolerance approach signals a strong message that such attacks on govt officials will not be tolerated. The incident serves as a watershed moment in the ongoing battle against illegal sand mining operations, officials said.
Kaptipada additional tehsildar Bhimakanta Majhi suffered injuries after an attack by the sand mafia near Suno river bed on Monday morning.
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In the incident, Majhi's car was damaged. Majhi, based on intelligence reports, went to inspect sand being lifted illegally using excavators. When he opposed it, he was attacked. Police said the miscreants, mostly goons of the sand mafia, intercepted Majhi's car and tried to stop him from venturing into the sand lifting site in the river bed.
Pujari announced free sand provision for Pradhan Mantri Awas beneficiaries, with a draft standard operating procedure (SOP) already in preparation to streamline the process.
"The most important thing is how to facilitate the supply of sand at low cost to the lower middle class and poor. We will introduce the provision of issuing permits to beneficiaries of PM Awas to lift at least two tractor fulls of sand for free for construction of houses.
The PM Awas will be free from the sand cost burden," Pujari told reporters.
BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty commented that the minister's statements are merely an attempt to whitewash the obvious collusion between administration officials and the mining mafia. "Instead of taking concrete action, the minister has limited himself to making empty rhetoric," he said. Mohanty said there has been a drastic decline in revenue from minor minerals from Rs 1,485 crore in 2023-24 to just Rs 600 crore in 2024-25.
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