Two UP chairmen have been accused of illegally extracting and selling sand worth crores from the Gorai River in Kalukhali upazila of Rajbari.
The administration does not know that sand is extracted in broad daylight and sold to hundreds of trucks. Due to the taking of sand in trucks, sand has been piled up on the road. Erosion has occurred on the banks of the Gorai river. Locals demanded that all those involved be brought under the law.
According to locals and concerned sources, the lease notice of the current 1431 Bangla year was issued from the Deputy Commissioner's Office for the sale of the sand of the Paturia Gorai River in Sarail Union of Kalukhali Upazila, but no one took the sand palace on lease.
Although sand extraction from this sand palace was supposed to be stopped, sand extraction from the river was illegally lifted in broad daylight under the leadership of Mrigi Union Parishad Chairman and Upazila Awami League (AL) Organizing Secretary MA Matin and Sawrail Union Parishad Chairman and Union AL President Md Shahidul Islam Ali.
This sand is being sold in different parts of the district through hundreds of trucks. Although sand worth several crores has been sold openly for four months, the administration does not know anything about it.
After visiting the banks of the Gorai river in Kalukhali upazila, it was seen that sand is being dumped there by digging ditch with the dredger machine with a loud sound. There is a sand selling counter next to it. Local Saiful Islam is the manager of the counter. From there, trucks are coming one after another and taking the sand to different areas of the district. Due to sand cutting, erosion has occurred on the side. People living on the banks of Gorai are in fear of erosion. Besides, rural roads are also in a bad condition due to sand transportation. On the one hand, the panic of erosion, on the other hand, the loud noise of illegal dredger machines and the poor condition of the road, the locals are at the extreme stage of suffering.
Locals said that this sand palace has not been leased yet. However, under the leadership of Mrigi Union Parishad Chairman and Upazila AL Organizing Secretary MA Matin and Sawrail Union Parishad Chairman and Union AL President Shahidul Islam Ali, hundreds of trucks are extracting sand from Pahela Baishakh this year and selling sand by hundreds of trucks every day.
As a result, erosion has occurred in various places on the banks of the river. The loud noise of illegal dredger machines and the poor condition of rural roads have been created. The government is being deprived of revenue and the common people are suffering. However, the district administration and local administration do not monitor the sand extraction activities openly. They demand immediate action.
Manager Saiful Islam, who was engaged in illegal sand extraction and sale, tried to manage The Daily Post correspondent when he went to take photos on the spot.
Later, he said that the sand palace has not been taken on lease, but AL leaders and chairman MA Matin and Shahidul Islam Ali are extracting the sand by managing the administration. Both of them are at the Kalukhali UNO office.
Chairman Shahidul Islam Ali said, I and Matin are not only the chairman, many others are involved in this sand extraction. Until July 24, permission was taken from the administration to extract sand. Now there is a license in the name of Matin Chairman, the lease will be taken in that name. However, Chairman Shahidul Islam Ali admitted to illegally extracting and selling sand from Pahela Baishakh without purchasing the sand palace.
Chairman MA Matin initially denied the sand extraction, but later admitted that our brothers are extracting the sand, I am also with them.
When asked how he has been extracting sand for the last four months without taking the reporter's lease, he said, you should talk to the administration about the matter.
Talking to Kalukhali Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mahua Afroz, she said that the sand palace of the Gorai River was advertised for lease, but the sand palace was not sold. I did not know anything about sand mining. And I am stopping sand extraction right now, so I instructed someone on mobile phone to stop sand extraction.
Rajbari Deputy Commissioner Abu Kaiser Khan said the Paturia government sand palace in Kalukhali upazila has not been leased out to anyone here. If anyone is extracting sand, action will be taken after looking into the matter.
ZH