Minister for Mines and Geology C.C. Patil has issued a direction to officials to take all necessary steps to check illegal sand extraction in Gadag district. Chairing a meeting of the Gadag District Mining Task Force at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Gadag on Wednesday, the Minister asked the officials to be extra cautious in villages around Shirahatti, Mundargi, Laxmeshwar in the Tungabhadra river basin and in villages of Nargund taluk in the Malaprabha river basin. Mr. Patil directed tahsildars of the respective taluks to work in coordination with the officials of the departments of Public Works, Forest and Mines and Geology to ensure that there was no illegal sand extraction in the district.
