‘Cat’s Eye’ rush comes to end in Odisha village

Reported by Ranjan Rath
Koraput, Nov 29:

Nearly three weeks after unrestricted excavation of jewels started in Anabadi village of Koraput district, Odisha police, along with Revenue department officials, finally reached the Naxal infested area and put an end to the excavation on Friday.

Digging for Cat's Eye in Koraput cillage
Digging for Cat’s Eye in Koraput cillage

Section 144 has been imposed in the village by police. Strangely, however, mining department officials were missing in action.

Most of the workers and agents fled the spot when police arrived. The police ordered the few still on the spot to stop excavation and leave the spot immediately. The equipment used for digging the earth have been seized.

The villagers had been excavating nearby areas after a few glittering stones were found while excavating the earth to carve out a road for Anabadi under PMGSY. These stones of varying colors discovered just 3 feet under the ground were later identified to be Cat’s eye.

As news of the discovery spread, thousands of workers, agents from nearby areas and bystanders started crowding the area. Such was the rush that local residents started apprehending a law and order situation. “The situation has now improved after the police intervention,” said a local resident.

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