Kolkata: Leader of the opposition in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, on Tuesday said he complained to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav about illegal sand mining in West Bengal.
"I have lodged a serious complaint regarding sand mining in West Bengal. It is a massive scam. TMC-affiliated police personnel and a section of bureaucrats, allegedly under the patronage of CM Mamata Banerjee, are looting sand from rivers across the state. They are openly violating the laws framed by the Ministry of Environment. Union Minister Bhupender Yadav listened to my concerns and assured me that his department will look into the matter very seriously and take appropriate action as soon as possible," he told reporters.
#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: On Union Minister Bhupender Yadav’s visit, West Bengal LoP and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari says, “I have lodged a serious complaint regarding sand mining in West Bengal. It is a massive scam. TMC-affiliated police personnel and a section of… pic.twitter.com/Ou9uGMnaCa
— ANI (@ANI) June 10, 2025
In February, a violent clash erupted over the control of illegal sand mining operations in Birbhum, where two opposing groups, with the alleged tacit support of the ruling party, hurled crude bombs at each other. The cause of the skirmish is said to be the control over the earnings of an illegal sand mine on the banks of the Ajay River.
In January, the district magistrate of Birbhum raided three illegal mines after being publicly rebuked by Banerjee for the unauthorised extraction of sand from riverbeds. The raids were conducted following a tip-off that sand was being mined illegally from the banks of the Ajay River after midnight, and a larger part of the sand went to Jharkhand.
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