STF to be formed to crack down on sand mafia in Maharashtra, says revenue minister Bawankule

Pune: State revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Friday said the govt is considering to set up a state-level special task force (STF) as well as invoking the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the sand mafia to dismantle organised illegal sand mining networks.Replying to a question raised by Congress MLA Nana Patole during Question Hour in the legislative assembly, Bawankule said the govt had taken serious note of illegal sand mining and attacks on officials enforcing the law. He said strict action, including under the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities (MPDA) Act, was already being taken against organised criminal groups, but the govt was now pushing for action under MCOCA as well.“I have requested chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to allow action under MCOCA. These are organised sand mafia groups that have tried to run over tehsildars, talathis and police inspectors with vehicles during enforcement drives. They have also conspired to kill govt officials,” Bawankule said.The minister claimed that a recent investigation in one of the cases had uncovered a WhatsApp group of around 1,000 members allegedly used to conduct surveillance on govt officials.

According to him, members of the group tracked the movements of revenue and police officers, monitored the routes they took, followed them during enforcement operations and allegedly facilitated attempts to attack them.Bawankule said the proposal to invoke MCOCA was being discussed with the home department. “At present, action can be taken under the MPDA Act, but organised sand mafia should also face action under MCOCA,” he said, adding that the proposed STF would identify and crack down on illegal sand mining networks across the state.Referring to a recent incident involving a deputy tehsildar, the minister said sand and minor mineral smugglers had allegedly attempted to run over the officer with a truck while he was discharging his official duties. He also questioned the delay in registering the FIR, claiming that a senior officer took nearly 10 days to grant permission for filing the case.Bawankule also announced that the government would roll out the Electronic Transit System (ETS) for sand and minor minerals across Maharashtra this year. He said the digital system would enable real-time monitoring of mineral transportation and help authorities examine cases of illegal mining that may have taken place over the past decade.