Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Dec 31: After the sand, now it is the turn of red stone mining for the mafia in and around Mangaluru. One such mining is active at Permanki under Neermarga panchayat limits.

Around 20 acres of Gomala (government land marked for grazing of cattle) land is being utilized by the mafia for this purpose. Villagers and people representatives of Permanki had brought this to the notice of the concerned department a few months ago. Accordingly, tahsildar of Mangaluru and officials of Neermarga panchayat development board had conducted an operation and confiscated the tools used for the mining of the red stones.

However, it seems that the illegal activity that was quiet for some time after the raid has started again. Now the excavation of stones is being done in the evening from 5 pm to 9.30 pm and also in the early morning from 5 am to 9 am. Officials have failed to control this illegal activity. Hundreds of acres of Gomala land is grabbed for mining in this way.

According to locals, a letter was written to the higher authorities on April 13, 2017, after holding a discussion in this connection in the general meeting of the panchayat, stating that 20 acres of Gomala land under survey number 190 and 191 of Neermarga village panchayat limits is encroached by the mafia. The letter also requested the department officials to mark the borders of the Gomala land. However, as the border of the Gomala land is not marked till now by the department, the illegal quarry mafia is extending its operations further into the government land.

Taluk panchayat and mining officials are responsible for the increase of this activity as per the residents of this locality. It seems even the raids conducted by Mahadevaiah, tahsildar, Mangaluru taluk has not paid any results. Now Lingappayya, panchayat development officer (PDO) of Neermarga panchayat has visited the spot and is investigating the matter.