BJP MLA turns against govt, takes on might of sand mafia

Bhopal: Seeking government assistance to curb illegal sand mining in Chhattarpur, a district bordering Uttar Pradesh, BJP MLA R D Prajapati has threatened indefinite stir against his own government.
He alleged that armed sand mafia from neighbouring UP in connivance with local BJP leaders and district administration officials are causing irreparable damage to enviroment in Chandla, a town close to UP that Prajapati represents.
Sounding helpless, he told TOI, "Letters written to the state government officials complaining about the illegal operations of the mafia from UP went unanswered." In last 2 years, the MLA had written 23 letters to senior officials at Mantralaya in Bhopal, divisional and district level officials in Sagar and Chhattarpur, but there was no response, he said.
Prajapati told TOI, "Firing goes on whole night as mafia fights. There is pollution everywhere. From offices to homes, living room to kitchen and food to drinking water, dust is everywhere. Each day, 500 to 1,000 trucks carry illegally mined sand from here."
He said, "No action has been taken and the sand mafia is active here despite the fact that I had raised the issue through Vidhan Sabha questions and raising the issue through call attention motions. The mafia continues to operate with the help of police and administration."
In a letter written to the chief minister on June 17 and copies sent to the mining, home and revenue ministers, Prajapati drew his attention to unchecked illegal mining by musclemen from UP. Strangely, two days after the letter was shot off, MLA's representative Rudra Pratap Patel was booked on Sunday on charge of attacking a revenue inspector, Suryamani Majhi. Patel and five others were booked for attacking the mining inspector.
Prajapati said, "Many on-the-run criminals from UP have unleashed reign of terror in the area."
The legislator said he would be forced to go on indefinite dharna if no immediate action was taken to stop illegal mining.
He said local officials, tehsildars and SHOs of police stations help sand mafia to facilitate illegal mining operations. When role of Patel in attacking the mining inspector was pointed out, he catgorically denied his association with Patel. "One year ago, I disassociated from him and the district collector was informed about it."
Majhi had confiscated heavy machineries used for sand mining and cases were registered against Patel and others for illegal mining.