Youth dies after falling into illegal sand mining pit in Kalaburagi district

Koli-Kabbaliga Samanvaya Samiti member Avvanna Myakeri alleged that a person, identified as Yellaling Pujari, tried to suppress news of the death by offering ₹10 lakh to the bereaved family on the spot.

Members of Koli-Kabbaliga Samanvaya Samiti have alleged that the death of 23-year-old Sridhar Navalkar on April 7 was the result of the failure of the district administration to check illegal sand mining in Belagumpa village in Chittapur taluk of Kalaburagi district in Karnataka.

Addressing mediapersons in Kalaburagi on April 9, Samiti member Avvanna Myakeri said that illegal sand mining continues under the nose of district authorities. Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge, who represents Chittapur constituency and is in charge of the district, turns a blind eye to sand extraction and officials in the mining department seem helpless.

Mr. Myakeri alleged that a person, identified as Yellaling Pujari, tried to suppress news of the death by offering ₹10 lakh to the bereaved family on the spot.

“Mr. Kharge reacts to every issue immediately, but he is maintaining silence on the illegal sand mining in his constituency,” Mr Myakeri alleged. He urged Mr. Kharge to curb illegal sand mining with an iron fist and take action against the culprits.

He said that the illegal lifting of sand by influential persons has been going on for a long time. Nearly 1,000 trips are carried out every day without payment of royalty to the State exchequer. “Sand extractors had dug up the riverbed for as deep as 50 feet over a seven kilometre stretch in Bagodi village,” he added.

The Samiti demanded ₹1 crore compensation and a government job to the kin of the deceased.