Bharuch: Lok Sabha MP Mansukh Vasava has made serious allegations on his social media, accusing the collectors of Bharuch, Narmada, and Vadodara districts, along with the administration, of supporting sand mafias.

Taking to social media platforms, Bharuch MP wrote, “In Shuklatirth village of Bharuch taluka, illegal sand mining by sand mafias has led to deep pits, resulting in the drowning and deaths of four people. Addressing this issue, the district MLA and I raised it in the district coordination meeting. Across the banks of the Narmada River, in Narmada, Vadodara, and Bharuch districts, several deaths have occurred due to people drowning in these pits. Around 25-30 large machine boats (barges) operate illegally in the Narmada River across these three districts, and their operations must be stopped. Despite discussions in the coordination meetings, illegal sand mining continues unabated.”

“Yesterday, I brought the matter to the attention of the Bharuch District Collector based on representations from the local people of Indor and Nana Vasna villages in the Jhagadia taluka.”

“Following the Collector’s instructions, a team comprising mining officials, the Jhagadia Mamlatdar, and local police visited the site early in the morning at 6 AM. However, instead of apprehending the sand mafias, they allowed them to escape. Yesterday as well, large-scale illegal sand mining was occurring at Nana Vasna in a location without any lease approval. The sand mafias involved were from Vadodara district and were extracting sand within the boundaries of Bharuch district. Despite the Collector sending a team of mining, revenue, and police officials, the team failed to take action and let the offenders flee.”

“It is my firm belief that collectors, revenue officials, mining officers, police, taluka, district panchayat officials, and certain political leaders from these three districts are complicit with the sand mafias, supporting their illegal sand mining activities.”

“Illegal makeshift bridges have been constructed across the Narmada River, allowing trucks to transport sand. This situation is well known to administrative officials of these three districts and state mining officers, but the sand mafias reportedly bribe them with lakhs of rupees every month. As a result, these mafias operate with impunity, extracting sand from wherever they please.”

“I intend to write to the Chief Minister, urging the formation of a state-level team to take legal action against those involved in these illegal activities.” DeshGujarat

ભરૂચ તાલુકાના શુકલતીર્થ ગામે રેત માફિયાઓ દ્વારા ઊંડાણ થી રેતી કાઢવાના કારણે ઊંડા ખાડા પડી ગયા છે જેના કારણે એમાં ડૂબી જવાથી ચાર લોકોનાં મૃત્યુ પામ્યા હતા, જેને લઈને જીલ્લાનાં ધારાસભ્ય શ્રી ઓ તથા મે સ્વયં જીલ્લા સંકલનની મીટીંગ માં આ મુદ્દો ઉઠાવ્યો હતો, સમગ્ર નર્મદા કાંઠે, નર્મદા…

— Mansukh Vasava MP (@MansukhbhaiMp) November 25, 2024