WHIFF OF A SAND SCAM IN BHOJPUR

WHIFF OF A SAND SCAM IN BHOJPUR

5-JULY-ENGN 21

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA----------------------------The Bhojpur District Truck Owners' Association has submitted a memorandum to the District Magistrate (DM), demanding a high-level inquiry into the volume of sand stockpiled at "secondary sites" across various sand ghats in the district.

The memorandum, submitted by Association District President Ajay Kumar, alleges that ghat operators stockpiled sand on a massive scale at secondary sites while sand mining operations were suspended. It raises suspicions that sand was stored illegally, exceeding prescribed regulations and capping limits.

The Association asserts that orders for the sale of this stockpiled sand were issued without proper verification. It is alleged that permission for sale was granted without confirming the actual stock volume or adherence to capping limits, thereby casting doubt on the impartiality of the entire process.

The memorandum further notes that the inquiry relied on the status as of June 10, whereas sand stockpiling continued until June 15. It is suspected that hundreds of thousands of cubic feet of additional sand were accumulated during this period; yet, permission for sale was granted based on a report that was already five days old.

The Truck Owners' Association has urged the DM to constitute a high-level committee to conduct an impartial investigation into the sand stockpiles at all Bhojpur ghats. Furthermore, they have demanded strict action against the concerned ghat operators and responsible officials should any irregularities come to light during the probe.

Copies of the memorandum have also been sent to the Director General of Police (Bihar), the Economic Offences Unit, the Director of the Department of Mines and Geology, the Mines Secretary, the Superintendent of Police (Bhojpur), and the District Mining Officer. Prominent figures are involved in the sand trade. It will be interesting to see whether any actual action is taken on this complaint or if it is simply shelved.