Team Herald
PANJIM: The Directorate of Mines and Geology has replaced its Nodal Officer — the Bicholim Deputy Collector for North Goa District for lack of monitoring against illegal sand extraction in the North Goa District.
Panjim Deputy Collector (DRO) Ajay Gaude has now been appointed as Nodal Officer for the North Goa District in place of Deputy Collector Deepak Vaigankar for effective monitoring against illegal sand mining.
This was informed by Advocate General Devidas Pangam to the High Court of Bombay at Goa while, hearing a petition filed by the Goa Rivers Sand Extraction Network.
Dharbandora Deputy Collector Kedar Naik will continue to be the Nodal Officer for South Goa District.
The petitioner has urged the court for effective monitoring and enforcing to stop illegal sand mining across the State even as both the nodal officers had filed affidavits regarding the action taken by them against illegal sand mining and cases registered against the offenders.
Meanwhile, the Directorate of Mines and Geology has also urged the court to permit them to give the sand seized by them for the use of government projects. The department had seized nearly 200 truck-loads sand at Amona.
The matter has now been posted for further hearing on August 9.
