TEAM HERALD
VALPOI: Mines and Geology department on Tuesday raided a stone quarry at Rive-Sattari and two machine operators were later arrested by police on charges of carrying out blasting and other excavation activities at the site.
According to reports, the officials of the Mines and Geology department received complaints from the villagers stating that the stone quarry was carrying out blasting and other excavation activities at the quarry at Rive, which is close to their houses and a few metres from the main road.
The officials rushed to the site and raided the quarry. The officials also attached the machinery used in the blasting activities and booked the machine operators for alleged illegal activities.
Later, Valpoi police took the two machine operators into custody after they failed to produce documents and satisfactory reply to the queries of the Mines and Geology officials.
When contacted, sources at Valpoi police admitted that machine operators, Arvind Yadav and Pradeep Yadav, have been arrested by Valpoi police under Sections 3, 62 of Goa Mines and Minerals Concession Rule 1965. It is learnt that the villagers had complained to the Thane Panchayat about the problem they faced due to blasting activities. A police force has been deployed at the quarry site to maintain law and order.
