Decades old fight over controlling the illegal sand mining in Bihar is still rampant in a more brutal way. The thriving cash rich business still remains under the control of powerful contractors enjoying political patronage, besides money and muscle power.
Now sand mining mafias have started attacking mining officials during their routine inspection drive. Last Monday, when a team of mining officials including a woman were chased allegedly by the goons of sand mafias who thrashed them with sticks and threw stones at them at the outskirts of Patna under Bihar police station. The video which went viral has created ripples in the cross section of society.
This gory incident has forced the state government to re-look the nexus of “criminals contractors politicians” in the thriving illegal sand mining business in various parts of the state.
“it a fight for controlling the multi billion sand mining business between a couple of millionaire political leaders cutting across the party lines. At least dozens of powerful wealthy politicians including some in ruling party members are products of Bihar’s rich sand mining business”, said a senior bureaucrat of Bihar on the condition of anonymity.
Hundreds of people have been killed in sand wars between different criminal gangs backed by their political bosses in recent times, particularly sand rich areas of Patna, Bhojpur, Saran, Nawada, Lakhisarai, Naugachhia, Sheikhpura , Kaimur and Rohtas.
A senior police official admitted that the fight over illegal sand mining is also locked in the war over the control of the bus stand contract, the combined earning from which, together, is estimated in several hundred crores annually.
According to official sources, the government collects the major share of revenue from the high quality sand of river beds in Patna, Saran, Bhojpur, Nawada and Lakhisarai districts.
After protests by the various political parties, the district police made the arrest of 44 people in which mostly innocent people and lodged three FIRs.
Sensing the gravity of the situation, a high level meeting was convened under the chairmanship of Bihar’s Chief Secretary Amir Subhani in which it was decided to create a separate river police station in these sand rich districts with an aim to check the illegal mining operations. The concerned district magistrates have been asked to send a proposal in this regard.
A separate mining police force to be created. In the beginning it was decided to create a separate police force with a strength of 400 dedicated cadres to check the illegal operation in the sand rich region of Bihar.
The government is in the process of making separate rules and regulations of the river police stations and also for a separate mining police force.
Finally it will be placed before the cabinet for its approval.
It was also decided to review activities in sand mining regions of five districts – Patna, Saran, Bhojpur, Rohtas and Kaimur on a monthly basis. A permanent check post would also be created in all sand rich regions.
In order to control the activities of criminals, the Home Department will review all the FIRs related to sand mining lodged in different parts of the state and accordingly suitable action will be taken against the culprit.
According to a rough estimate, the illegal sand mining trade is estimated to be worth between Rs 22000 crore and Rs 24000 crore. At present, the state government does not have any effective mechanism to check illegal mining sand because of the close nexus between mafias and contractors.
