Sullia: There has been a long-standing demand in the country that black money stacked abroad be brought home to be used in national development.
A similar idea was to be implemented in the matter of sand supply from here. The interdistrict transportation of sand extracted from the river banks in DK for reason that a shortage was seen in the supply to local construction activity.
In compliance of the DC’s directive, the Sullia tahsildar and his staff, joined by the police, had stopped and seized 53 lorryloads of sand. The vehicles were parked here since Monday. The created space issues and also a standoff with the drivers of the lorries seized.
The officials are said to have told the drivers of the lorries to divert the sand to Shirad ghat where the upgradation of the highway is in progress.
They protested saying that they had no place to stay nor availability of food. The DC came to know about the impasse and paid a lightning visit here to listen to both the sides.
He worked out an amicable way in resolving the issue by issuing a spot order to have the seized sand sold off locally at a mutually agreeable rate.
The local officials were asked to fix the rate. This helped the lorry drivers to carry back cash with them. It also came as a boon to local building contractors who were finding it difficult to get sand as most of it was being illegally transported to upcountry districts where it fetched fancy prices.
Whatever stock that remained could be sent to Shiradi for construction work. But since there is shortage of sand in the district, the local contractors are most likely to keep stock much in excess of their needs. Hence not much may go to Shiradi ghat work.