Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal
Bantwal, March 19: A dramatic raid led by Bantwal taluk Tahsildar Archana Bhat on Wednesday, March 19, uncovered illegal sand mining and bauxite excavation activities in Vitla, sparking alarm in the local community.
At around 7 am, a team of revenue officials swooped down on the locations of Kudthamugeru and the border area of Kanyana Padekallu in Bantwal taluk, catching the culprits off guard. The authorities seized significant amounts of property and promptly handed over the case to the local Grama Panchayat PDO for further legal action.
The raid in Kudthamugeru came in response to complaints about widespread illegal sand mining. Over 30 pickup loads of sand were discovered stacked at the site, with valuable machinery and tools used for extraction seized, amounting to lacs of rupees.
Tahsildar Archana Bhat instructed the Kolnadu Grama Panchayat PDO to initiate proper legal proceedings once the case had been thoroughly reviewed.
In a follow-up raid at the border area of Kanyana Padekallu, authorities uncovered large-scale illegal bauxite excavation. The officials have now launched a detailed investigation into the unlawful activities at this site.
Tahsildar Bhat has ordered the owners to provide the relevant documents to the revenue department, with the case now transferred to the revenue inspection team for further scrutiny.
Alongside Tahsildar Bhat, the operation was carried out by Vitla revenue officer Ravi M N, village administrative officer Karibasappa Nayak, and other officials, including village assistants Girish Shetty, Rukmayya Moolya, and Lingappa Gowda.