BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Monday sought the intervention of Governor Ganeshi Lal to stop the rampant illegal sand mining from riverbeds across the State under the active patronage of the ruling BJD to sand mafias.
Alleging that the State is incurring revenue loss to the tune of Rs 14,000 crore every year, the State BJP River Protection Committee (Namami Gange) said that an organised loot of the natural resources has been going on with the nexus of the sand mafias with local BJD leaders.
A delegation of the BJP led by State president of BJP River Protection Committee, Maheswar Sahu met the Governor and submitted a memorandum alleging that the revenue generated from the illegal sand mining is going to the coffers of the BJD.
Sahu said that apart from loss of revenue, the illegal sand mining is endangering rivers like Mahanadi, Brahmani, Baitarani, Subarnarekha, Rushikulya and other rivulets as well. This has been going on under the nose of the local administration despite repeated reprimands from the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Since the BJD is direct beneficiary, the State government is silent over this issue, Sahu said and added that truckloads of sand are being illegally excavated from river beds and transported on a daily basis right under the nose of local administrations. The BJD Ministers, MLAs and leaders are the major beneficiaries of this loot, Sahu added.