Exposing the unchecked illegal activities in the Krishna district, revenue department officials of Nandigama mandal were attacked by the sand mafia in the wee hours of Tuesday. However there were no serious injuries to the officers.
According to sources, mining officials had informed Nandigama tahasildar B Srinivas about the illegal sand transportation from Munneru rivulet at Kanchela village at around 12:30 am. He sent a three-member village revenue officers’ team to the spot immediately, and at around 1.30 am, he and another village revenue officer (VRO) Narasimha Rao reached the spot.
Noticing the presence of revenue officials, the smugglers made an attempt to escape along with the vehicles, but the Tahasildar and the VRO, who noticed the lorries entering the highway from Munneru, parked their motorcycle across the road to obstruct their way.
Though the lorries stopped, around 10 persons, who came in a car and on a two-wheeler behind the lorries, pushed the Tahasildar and VRO aside, removed their motorcycle from the road and sped away in their vehicles.
Narrating the scene, B Srinivas said, “We were outnumbered and helpless. However we have noted the registration numbers of the vehicles and seized four sand laden lorries and three vacant lorries under Andhra Pradesh Water, Land and Trees Act (APWLTA Act). A complaint has also been lodged with the police.”
Commenting on the issue, Krishna District Tahasildars Association (KDTA) president V Madan Mohan said that they were not trained enough to handle such rowdy elements.