East Burdwan cracks down on sand mafia

Kolkata: East Burdwan district administration on Wednesday launched a massive drive against the sand mafia, following the instruction of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

In the recently held administrative review meetings in West Midnapore, East and West Burdwan, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had instructed the district administration to take stringent measures against the sand mafia.

In the administrative review meeting held in West Midnapore, she had instructed the district administration to take action against illegal sand mining and asked the district administration to ensure that sand-filled heavy duty trucks are not allowed on rural roads, as they destroy them.

She had asked the Panchayats to cooperate with police and put up barriers to prevent the lorries from entering rural roads.

The officials of Land and Land Reforms department raided several illegal sand mines on Wednesday and lodged complaints with police against several persons. They raided a sand mine in Katwa, where sand was being excavated illegally and ferried using lorries.

Seeing the administrative officials, the lorry drivers fled the area without their vehicles. Complaints were lodged against the owners of illegal sand mines at Nabagram and Begunkola.

There are illegal sand mines at Mangalkote, Ketugram and Katwa. Sand mafia from Nadia and Murshidabad come to East Burdwan to excavate sand from the bank of river Ajay.

Meanwhile, a civic volunteer was beaten up by sand mafia in Purulia, while they were excavating sand from the bank of river Kansai. When the civic volunteer raised his voice against the same, he was beaten up. He was taken to a hospital by local people.