Sivaganga
Expressing their anguish and apprehension at ‘rampant illegal sand mining’ in Devakottai taluk in Sivaganga district, members affiliated to the Village Administrative Officers Association have demanded the State government immediately arrest all the 10 accused.
The association State coordinator R. Arulraj told The Hindu that the incident of sand mining along the Sarugini riverbed came to the notice of the VAO concerned on the night of May 9.
When he, along with three other colleagues, visited Vellikatti, they were blocked by illegal sand mining gang. Threatening them to return or else face the consequences, the gang assaulted the officers, when they refused to leave the place.
It is suspected that at least three tractor loads of sand from the river may have been smuggled from the riverbed, the VAOs said and demanded the police to arrest all the 10 named accused in the FIR immediately, including one person who is the husband of a village president, said to be the the kingpin.
“It is almost more than 48 hours since the incident happened. All that the police at Thiruvempathur station in Sivaganga district had done is to register a case. All the accused were roaming scot-free in the village only. The inaction by the police gave us an impression that they were hand in glove with the accused...” the members alleged.
Three months ago, when there were complaints that illegal sand mining was taking place on the riverbed, the VAO secured at least 10 bullock carts load of sand and handed them over to the police. There was no action beyond registering a case then, Mr. Arulraj said and added that the officers were getting threat calls from anonymous numbers.
Another office-bearer said, “We are living in constant fear...The higher-ups in the district administration have been giving us an assurance to take it up with the police and give protection, but nothing seems to be working out. With the ruling political party’s support, the sand miners indulged in destroying the natural resources.”
Apart from this, Mr. Arulraj said that the members were roughed up by some residents across Tamil Nadu, when they went to discharge their duties during the COVID-19 pandemic times.
“Our members, who went to paste stickers in front of houses to inform inmates that they were in home quarantine, the residents attacked and abused us. The incidents were not stray as it happened in Cuddalore, Kanniyakumari, Dindigul, Thoothukudi and in Kaliyakavilai of Kanniyakumari district...” he pointed.
The State government should protect the VAOs during such medical emergencies, he said.
The Tamil Nadu Grama Nirvaga Munnetra Sangam also extended its support and demanded the State government to direct the Sivaganga police to arrest the accused forthwith.
A fortnight ago, when The Hindu published a news item that illegal sand mining was rampant along the Vaigai near Manamadurai, Collector J. Jayakanthan, after a review meeting, stated in a press release that CCTV cameras had been installed in 15 key locations and vehicles without valid authority would be seized and instructed the check posts personnel to be alert. The control room was being established at the Collectorate to monitor the lorries round the clock, he added.
