PATNA: Within the final five-six days, the sand mafia in Bihar has killed three individuals together with a Sub-Inspector of police and grievously injured two individuals in Jamui district of the state. A number of different incidents of assaults on authorities officers and frequent supremacy wars in numerous districts reveal how these gangs of sand smugglers are operating parallel governments of their respective areas of affect in Bihar.
After the ban on all liquor operations in Bihar, sand mining is without doubt one of the main sources of income for the state Authorities. It additionally allots contracts to corporations for mining in numerous rivers to extract sand for building functions. Within the gentle of this, strongmen in numerous areas purchase mining pockets in rivers like Sone, Ganga, Gandak, Kosi, Parman and lots of others.
As per the information of the mining division sand prospecting generated income to the tune of Rs 2,650 crore in 2022-23 however the officers declare that the sand enterprise is value over Rs 15,000 crore in Bihar. In consequence, murders and wars for domination over this profitable enterprise ceaselessly happen.
Since there may be massive cash concerned, numerous politics additionally takes place on these points, and each BJP chief in Bihar claims that the leaders of the RJD are concerned within the enterprise.
“The sand mafia is operating a parallel economic system in Bihar. I firmly imagine that the scale of the sand market is over Rs 25 lakh crore within the state and the utmost stake is owned by the mafia. They’re politically related and safety is straight given by Lalu Prasad’s household. At any time when, the RJD involves energy, the Mafia Raj turns into robust in Bihar,” mentioned BJP Spokesperson Arvind Kumar Singh.
“The best way the sand mafia is exhibiting aggression, I firmly imagine that these murders are happening beneath the safety of state-owned companies and political events. The police are claiming that they’re taking motion towards them nonetheless various murders, together with that of police personnel, are happening as a result of warfare of supremacy between numerous gangs. The mafia is doing rampant mining in numerous rivers and the cash generated from it is going to be used within the forthcoming elections,” Singh mentioned.
Nonetheless, the RJD refutes all allegations and says that the present authorities has truly come down onerous on the mafiosi.
“After the formation of the Nitish-Tejashwi Authorities in Bihar, the ‘Mafia Raj’ in sand mining declined. If we evaluate the crime information throughout the present authorities’s tenure with that generated throughout the NDA Authorities’s rule when the BJP was a part of it, the variety of incidents was greater. I admit that some incidents have occurred in Bihar of late however the police of respective districts acted swiftly towards the offenders and arrested them.
“The allegations leveled by the BJP are fully baseless. There isn’t a fact in it. They’ve turn out to be determined ever because the Nitish-Tejashwi authorities has given lakhs of jobs to the individuals. They’re clueless about find out how to react to it and therefore they’re leveling baseless allegations towards us,” mentioned Mritunjay Tiwari, the Nationwide Spokesperson of the RJD.
Bihar Police says that it frequently conducts raids and imposes fines on offenders. An official mentioned that Bihar Police has arrested 2,439 sand smugglers since January this 12 months and registered 4,435 FIRs for the assorted prison offences of the mafiosi.
Over 20,000 autos had been additionally seized both for not paying taxes for carrying sand or for different violations.
Bhojpur district is understood for sand mining in Sone River because the sand of this river is in demand for building functions. In consequence, the district police are all the time on their toes right here.
Pramod Kumar, SP, Bhojpur mentioned, “Now we have seized 18 vehicles and tractors from the villages coming beneath Imadpur, Sikarhatta, Chauri and Tarari police stations. The mafia used to dig sand at night time and transport it by way of tractors and vehicles.”
As per the directives of the state authorities, mining was began this 12 months from October 15 and shortly supremacy wars began in Bhojpur, Aurangabad and Patna. Three individuals who had been mentioned to be members of various gangs had been killed by their rivals.
On November 17 a case of hit-and-run was reported from Jinhara Bazar on Kohbarwa-Jhajha highway within the morning when a rushing truck laden with sand mowed down Sachin Turi (35), who was on the way in which to the native market, and sped away.
On November 15, two teenage boys had been mowed down by a rushing truck laden with sand in the identical district. One among them Aayush Kumar (18) died on the spot whereas his pal Rakesh Kumar was critically injured. The incident occurred at Dadpur-Kabar most important highway at Machindra Village beneath Jhajha police station within the district.
On November 14, SI Prabhat Ranjan was killed and House Guard Constable Rajesh Kumar was critically injured at Chanwar village beneath Garhi police station.
On November 2, sand smugglers attacked a crew of the Mining Division, leaving one Constable injured.
On November 1, a rushing tractor laden with sand mowed down a Constable in Aurangabad. The record of crimes dedicated by the sand mafia is limitless.
Regardless of sand mining being authorized in Bihar, the state exchequer is dropping income as a result of ‘Mafia Raj.’ Maintaining this in view, the Mining Division has made allotments of small clusters to authorized bidders throughout public sale and screens digging and transportation by way of drones and CCTV cameras.
Apart from, the state authorities has additionally arrange examine posts, Dharmkantas (Weighing machines) and challan counters at numerous locations throughout Bihar to maintain the mafia in examine.
