Send notice to Bicholim mamlatdar for delayed action against sand mining: HC

Panaji: The high court on Thursday directed the North Goa collector to issue a show-cause notice to the Bicholim mamlatdar to explain the delay in acting on a report by the talathi regarding illegal sand mining at Virdi. The high court is hearing a second contempt petition on illegal sand extraction.
The Sanquelim talathi, in a letter to the mamlatdar on June 13, 2024, said that during an inspection at Karekha Zan at Virdi, five to six sand stacks were found on the riverbank, with wooden plates and ropes floating in the water where two canoes were also seen.
The talathi added that local inquiries revealed that sand extraction was carried out during late evenings on alternate days and requested police patrolling or police personnel to be stationed at the site, especially in the late evenings.
A raid was carried out on the directions of the mamlatdar of Bicholim on June 20 that year.
The report stated that upon reaching the site, the team “…found no sand mining extraction activity, nor were any traces of sand mining noticed at the site. Also, no canoe was found in the riverbed.”
Advocate general Devidas Pangam told the media after the hearing that in this instance, there was a report from the talathi to the mamlatdar of Bicholim about where the inspection was supposed to be carried out, but the inspection took place a week after the complaint was filed.
“The high court has asked for an explanation here, and the collector is supposed to get an explanation from the mamlatdar,” Pangam said. “This is the only instance where the court is now presently focusing on. Otherwise, the court has recorded that govt is taking action and will take further action. Every officer will take prompt action whenever there are reports of illegal sand mining, and appropriate action will be taken in terms of directions.”