MARGAO
South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha on Wednesday demanded that the government immediately stop the illegal sand extraction, charging that the activity is going on unabated because of a commission paid to the government authorities.
Making it clear that he is in favour of the resumption of legal sand extraction in the State, the MP, however, has called for a ban on sand extraction with suction pumps, posing danger to the traditional bundhs along the river course.
Addressing the media, Sardinha said the delay in resuming legal sand extraction by allotting spaces in the rivers has resulted in rampant illegal extraction of sand. And, he charged that the illegal sand extraction has not stopped for the reason that the commission is being paid to the government authorities.
The MP questioned the government’s move to advertise 10,000 government jobs at the fag end of the tenure and in the run-up to the polls, asserting the job recruitment drive has been deliberately initiated by the government with an eye on the coming polls.
