The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, in its latest report, has exposed rampant illegal sand mining in Bihar, and made shocking revelations about its modus operandi.
It said that the sand mafia have used motorcycles, scooters, ambulances, e-rickshaws, cars, buses, trucks, as well as earth mover machines for the transportation of sand in various districts of Bihar.
The CAG report is based on E-challans issued by the state Geology and Mining Department. It has also taken help of the students of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Patna. The NIT students, in their report submitted to the CAG, claimed that illegal mining is taking place in every ghat earmarked for the evacuation of sand in Bihar and it is an increasing trend.
CAG analysed the E-challans of 14 districts and found that 47 vehicles which cannot be used for the transportation of sand were issued e-challans from the department. The department had issued 2.5 lakh e-challans to those 47,000 vehicles.
As per the report, 62,843 e-challans issued to bike and scooters and 6,44,000 tons of sand were transported on them.
As many as 39,000 e-challans issued to auto-rickshaws for the transportation of 3,85,000 tons of sand.
A total of 10 e-challans issued to ambulances and 124 tons of sand transported on them.
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Also 9,245 e-challans issued to cars and 87,000 tons of sand transported from them. Even the Mining Department has issued challans to fire brigade vehicles for the transportation of 8 tons sand.
As per the report, the Mining Department has issued 181 e-challans to one bike and 139 E-challans to cars for the transportation of sand in one day.
Besides, it has issued challans to trucks, buses, tractors and earth mover machines as well.
