JAGATSINGHPUR: Raghunathpur Police on Sunday cracked down on an illegal sand extraction racket at Tarapur ghat and arrested two persons. The cops also seized a Hyva and JCB machine engaged in lifting sand illegally.
The arrested duo was identified as Alok Kumar Sethy of Tirtol and Hemant Kumar Dhal. Sources said a racket involved in illegal lifting of sand from Mahanadi river is active in the district. Hundreds of trucks and tractors have been diverted from Jagatsinghpur to Cuttack district to supply sand for construction of different projects and residential buildings.
There are many ghats on the opposite site of Mahanadi which come under Cuttack district. Bidders who have obtained lease of Peenpur ghat under Kishorenagar tehsil of Cuttack, are illegally lifting sand from Tarapur ghat under Raghunathpur tehsil. As there is no demarcation of river boundary, the bidders are lifting sand by exploiting the situation.
Meanwhile, Additional Tehsildar of Raghunathpur Manas Kumar Tripathy has lodged an FIR against persons involved in illegally lifting sand from Tarapur ghat. Police have registered a case in this connection.