Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal (SP)

Bantwal, Aug 25: In a joint operation, officials of the revenue and mines and geology departments raided a spot at Mugeru in Sangabettu village in the taluk and confiscated illegally mined sand that was stored in large quantity there. The operation was conducted on the evening of Wednesday August 24.

Since sometime, huge heaps of sand was found stored in the land belonging to locals, Ratnakumar Chowta, and Valerian Goveas. After he received several complaints, Mangaluru assistant polcie commissioner, Dr D R Ashok, instructed the concerned after which officials of revenue and mines and geology department conducted this flash raid.

The officials said that about 3,600 tonnes of illegally mined sand worth lacs of rupees was handed over to public works department. They said that they came to know through enquiry that the sand stocked there was illegally mined from rivulet.

Local tahsildar, Purandar Hegde, geologist, Girish Mohan, PWD executive engineer, Umesh Bhat, junior engineer Arun Prakash, revenue inspector, Naveen Kumar, village accountant, Janardana, Basappa and others were involved with this operation.