UMERKOTE: Illegal mining activities on huge patches of forest land in Sirliguda and Kesrabeda villages under the Umerkote block in Nabarangpur district have created a ruckus in the area. Sources said three tribal beneficiaries - Sonu Paraja, Kamalsai Paraja and Raju Paraja - of the said villages were allotted three-acre land each under the Forest Rights Act, 2007 to use for cultivation.
“However, a private company PR India Pvt Ltd lured the trio into providing their land for excavation in exchange for receiving Rs 1 lakh and a pond each,” claimed locals.
The excavation work has reportedly been going on for over a year now. Locals complained that the company had undertaken the work of the Raipur-Visakhapatnam economic corridor under Bharatmala Pariyojana and is illegally carrying out mining work for the construction of the express highway.
“Mining is being carried out using heavy machinery owing to which we are always at a risk of boulders falling on us. Besides, the blasting of rocks with explosives poses a threat to our lives and property. But, local forest and revenue officials are tight-lipped on the issue,” they alleged. Contacted, PR India officials Sanjib Tripathy and Santosh Singh claimed that they were continuing the work after receiving due permission from the district administration.
Umerkote range officer Anup Singh Pujari denied the claims saying no permission to carry out the excavation, was granted to the company. Rather they were asked to stop the illegal work immediately. “The said land can only be used for cultivation,” he added.
While the beneficiaries have been issued a show-cause notice by Nabarangpur DFO, collector Kamal Lochan Mishra after his recent visit to the site on Thursday, also issued instructions to stop illegal mining activity with immediate effect.
Even incidents of sand smuggling have reportedly come to the fore from the Kodinga tehsil area of the district. Locals alleged the sand was being used for the construction of roads under the Bharatmala project.
“Besides, truckloads of sand are being transported to Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. Due to illegal sand and stone mining, the state government has been losing crores of rupees that would have been collected as revenue,” they alleged.
Sub-collector Prasant Kumar Rout said necessary action would be taken if further complaints are received.