Illegal mining in Arang is causing losses to the state government

By Pawan Sahu:

ARANG,

In a major development, the mineral mafia has cheated the Naya Raipur Development Authority (NRDA) of billions of rupees through illegal mining activities in Murum, causing a significant financial burden to the state government. The land in question, about 500 hectares, was earmarked for the ambitious Naya Raipur project, a dream initiative of the Chhattisgarh state government. This land, purchased from private farmers in 27 villages, was earmarked for various state departments, including the ministry secretariat, residences of the chief minister and ministers, government buildings, railway stations and amusement parks, among others. However, the land, especially in the areas around the Arang and Abhanpur development blocks, has been reduced to deep pits due to rampant mining by mineral mafia. Despite several complaints and attempts to curb this illegal activity, responsible officials and employees of the concerned departments allegedly failed to take action, allowing the situation to escalate. This large-scale illegal murum mining has left the state government facing significant financial losses. The inability of the responsible officers to take timely and strict action against the mining mafia has further aggravated the problem. Although some actions have been taken in the past, such as pressuring the Minerals Service to seize stolen vehicles, these efforts have been insufficient to stop the illegal activities.

With hundreds of trucks and machines engaged in illegal mining activities, the mafia’s brutality has only increased. Sarpanchs from affected villages, including Bhuneshu Yadav from Navagaon and Chandravijay Markande from Rico, have repeatedly raised their concerns and stated that they have filed several written and oral complaints with both the Minerals Department and the NRDA. Despite their efforts, including capturing vehicles at night and reporting them, no action has been taken. As a result, the Sarpanchs in the area are wrongly blamed for the illegal mining activities, tarnishing their reputation. The problem has worsened in recent years, with illegal mining activities spreading to areas near key locations such as the container yard, Satya Sai Hospital, Pardhi Dera and the railway station. In just five villages, including Navagaon, Rico, Kayabandha and Chhatauna, the state government has incurred an estimated loss of crores.

If a survey was conducted in all 27 villages, losses could run into trillions of rupees. Local officials and residents have expressed frustration over the inaction of the Department of Minerals, with some claiming that the illegal operations are being carried out with the tacit approval of authorities. Repeated attempts to contact the mineral collector, Kishore Golghote, for a comment have gone unanswered. The villagers and Sarpanchs urge the state government to take immediate and concrete steps to address the problem, including seizure of vehicles involved in illegal mining and recovery of damages by measuring the depth of the mining pits . They also demand action against the contractors and vehicle owners responsible for these illegal activities, to put an end to the continued plunder of resources in the NRDA area.