Aanakkara panchayat president P M Azeez said the sand mining mafia was having a field day in the panchayat, situated on the border of Palakkad district, with the blessings of some corrupt bureaucrats. Even the local people were being denied river sand, he told reporters here on Monday.
Around 100 loads of river sand are being taken from the four kadavs of the panchayat every day. Even the locals have to stand in queues at the Ottapalam taluk office to get passes to avail themselves of river sand. And when the locals travel 40 km to Ottapalam, they find that the sand has been taken away by the mafia, Azeez said.
The people who manage to get passes by paying Rs 1,500, have to pay Rs 3,000 as tea money to the workers to get the passes.
Azeez alleged that the panchayat secretary had extended the validity of around 400 passes of the mafia from last October to this January on flimsy grounds. He did this in connivance with some employees of the Collectorate here. This was brought to the notice of the Collector and the RDO but to no avail.
