Bhubaneswar: In a major crackdown on illegal sand mining, the Odisha Government has ordered the suspension of Deputy Director of Mines (DDM), Jajpur Circle, Jay Prakash Nayak, and Jagatsinghpur District Mining Officer (DMO), Satish Kumar Tarai, for their alleged involvement in large-scale sand theft.

Minister orders suspension

The suspension orders were issued by Steel and Mines Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena, who underscored the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards illegal mining activities.

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Statewide action against illegal mining to continue

The minister stated that the government’s action against sand theft will continue and warned that strict action will be taken against other officials found involved in or facilitating illegal sand mining.

Show-cause notices issued earlier

Earlier, on November 27, Jagatsinghpur Collector J. Sonal had issued show-cause notices to both the Jajpur DDM and the Jagatsinghpur DMO for their alleged failure to conduct regular raids on sand quarries in their respective jurisdictions.

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FIR lodged following raids

Based on an FIR lodged by Jagatsinghpur Sub-Collector Prasant Kumar Tarai, following raids at two sand quarries in Kilipal under Tirtol tehsil and Jaipur on the Mahanadi riverbed in Raghunathpur, Jagatsinghpur police registered a case against the DMO and two leaseholders—Saroj Mohanty and Bansidhar Swain.

Charges under BNS and OMMC Rules

The accused have been booked under Sections 303(2), 112(2), and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 51 of the Odisha Minor Mineral Concession (OMMC) Rules for their alleged role in large-scale illegal sand mining across multiple sairat sources, resulting in significant losses to the state exchequer.