Birbhum police cracks down on sand mining

Kolkata: Following Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s instruction to crack down on the sand smuggling, the Birbhum police on Wednesday night raided several parts of the district including Nanur, Mayureswar and busted trucks which were carrying

sand illegally.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had recently strongly criticised lower-level officers in the Bengal Police, accusing them of being “corrupt” and facilitating illegal activities such as “coal and sand smuggling”. After the Chief Minister had expressed unhappiness over the smuggling of sand and coal, Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and DGP Rajeev Kumar visited Birbhum and had issued necessary directives to the district administration to take strong action. Immediately after the Chief Minister had expressed dissatisfaction, Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate suspended sub-inspector (S-I) Manoranjan Mondal, the officer-in-charge of the Barabani Police Station in Paschim Bardhaman district over allegations of “unprofessional conduct and negligence of duty.”

Chief Minister Banerjee recently also expressed her displeasure over proper execution of the coal block project at Deocha Pachami and sand smuggling in the district.

She warned of action against irregularities if things are not rectified in seven days.