Sand mafia operates freely

Sand mafia operates freely

Mangalore Today News Network

Puttur, Jan 9: The sand mafia in Puttur is permitted by the authorities concerned to operate freely. Nobody is taking any strict action against it. People complain that a circle police inspector who is associated with the Department of Mines and Geology does not answer his mobile phone.

Reportedly, certain parties who claim to possess a permit to extract sand from the Nethravathi River are making attempts to construct a road to Uppinangadi to transport sand. These planned activities of the sand mafia are a source of constant terror to the common people. 

The police as well as the department of mines have completely failed to control these illegal sand mining activities. The Bajattur Gram Panchayat Management Board organized a direct operation and confiscated 4 trucks from parties that were transporting sand illegally. 

This team has already tried unsuccessfully to construct a road across land belonging to a farmer. People report that around a gang of 30 - 40 are involved in the sand mafia, a fact that police are very much aware of, but do nothing about. 

Those who are caught transporting sand illegally are fined Rs 200. If a case is registered that sand is being illegally transported to Kerala, the parties can be fined up to Rs 25,000. However, the department of mines as well as police officers have let off the sand mafia when they were caught red-handed transporting sand to Kerala by fining them only Rs 200 and not registering a case against them.