TV
In a one-of-a-kind incident, Odisha Minister of Mines Bibhuti Bhushan Jena personally apprehended several trucks involved in illegal sand transportation at Barakoli village near Kantilo in Nayagarh district late last night.
As per reports, a truck transporting illegal sand was intercepted by the Mines Minister while it was en route to the loading dock. He then proceeded to stop the truck and also summoned the local tehsildar, RTO officials, and police for an inquiry.
In total, the minister detained 14 trucks and conducted an on-site inspection of their documents and licences in the presence of concerned officials. Sources further added that four vehicles were fined a total of Rs 1,94,698 due to discrepancies in their documentation.
Incidentally, Minister Jena was returning after offering darshan at the Jagannath Temple in Nayagarh when he acted on a tip-off from locals regarding unchecked sand mining and subsequently raided the area.
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Speaking to media persons, he further said that the Mohan Majhi-led Odisha government will not tolerate any illicit activities including unauthorised sand trade.
“No sand mafia will be allowed to operate in the state. Although I have apprehended a few, the Odisha government will ensure that stringent measures are taken to curb illegal sand trade,” he added.
Further, RTO officials and police detailed that although regular checks were being conducted in the area, the current success came because of the minister’s surprise raid.
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“We continuously patrol the areas but people involved in the illegal sand trade hide after receiving inputs about our movement in the area. However, the minister’s surprise crackdown caught them off-guard,” stated Prasant Parida, an RTO official from Nayagarh.
