Dhirendra KumarNew Delhi: The Bihar government's move to crack a whip against the sand mafia has turned out to be a nightmare for the administration of JP University in Chapra district, which is named after Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan, as the premises of the varsity have now turned into a 'safe haven' for sand mafia to park their sand-laden trucks and tractors.
Interestingly, despite several complaints by the university administration and students, the Saran district administration has not yet blinked to pay heed to the issue and the sand business is in 'full swing' in the middle of the road with stocks kept right there, leaving barely enough space for traffic movement.
In an on-site investigation, it was found that from Dighwara to Chapra NH-19, hundreds of trucks and tractors remain parked on both sides of the road leading to most of the road accidents in the areas.
According to students of the university, trucks and tractors are parked near the administrative building and the scenes of drivers cooking their meals alongside their vehicles inside the university are very haunting, particularly for the female staff. The campus looks like a parking lot, the students said.
Drivers are not parking their sand-laden trucks in the University on their own as they have been instructed to do so by the district administration. According to a senior official of the district, heavy vehicles are being parked from one stretch from the main gate to the main building of the university due to lack of alternatives, but it is not causing inconvenience to anyone. However, the administration is looking for an alternate space to park 'seized' trucks.
In contrary to the claims of Saran district administration, the university's registrar Dr Ravi Prakash 'Babloo' has urged the local authorities to remove all parked vehicles as it is affecting the functioning of the varsity.
In a letter to District Magistrate Nilesh Deore, the Registrar has stated that the dignity of the university is at stake as drivers and their helpers play vulgar music which affects functioning of the university and it creates problems for the female staff and students.
Notably, following the National Green Tribunal order, sand mining is banned in the state for three months from July 1 to September 30.