Illegal murum excavation in Solapur’s Kurdu village under spotlight
The issue had come to light after a video surfaced online showing deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in an apparent heated exchange with a woman IPS officer who was taking action against the illegal excavation
Murum was excavated in Kurdu village of Karmala tehsil in Solapur district without securing the mandatory permission from local revenue authorities, according to a report submitted to the district administration by the tehsildar on Monday.
The issue had come to light after a video surfaced online showing deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in an apparent heated exchange with a woman IPS officer who was taking action against the illegal excavation.
The two-minute video reportedly captures Pawar speaking to sub-divisional police officer Anjana Krishna over the phone of a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) worker on August 31.
Following the video’s circulation, the Solapur district collectorate asked for a detailed report from the Karmala tehsildar office. Sources confirmed that the report was submitted to the district administration on Monday.
According to an official, “The report from the tehsildar clearly states that the locals involved had not obtained the required permissions, and that the murum excavation was being conducted illegally.”
The official clarified that while royalty on murum extraction is waived for public works like road construction, prior permission from the tehsildar is mandatory. “Even in the case of public projects, the contractor must submit a request specifying the required quantity. Only then is royalty exempted. Here, no such permission was sought,” the official said.
{{/usCountry}}The official clarified that while royalty on murum extraction is waived for public works like road construction, prior permission from the tehsildar is mandatory. “Even in the case of public projects, the contractor must submit a request specifying the required quantity. Only then is royalty exempted. Here, no such permission was sought,” the official said.
{{/usCountry}}He added that without formal approval, it is impossible to verify whether the murum is genuinely being used for public works or diverted for private purposes. “Often murum is lifted under the guise of public works but ends up elsewhere. That is why the permission process is crucial,” he explained.
{{/usCountry}}He added that without formal approval, it is impossible to verify whether the murum is genuinely being used for public works or diverted for private purposes. “Often murum is lifted under the guise of public works but ends up elsewhere. That is why the permission process is crucial,” he explained.
{{/usCountry}}In this instance, the excavation was claimed to be for two road construction projects. However, the work orders for these projects had already lapsed. “With no permission in place, the activity is deemed illegal and unauthorised. Consequently, offences have been registered against 15 to 20 individuals under the Environment (Protection) Act and relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for obstructing a public servant in discharge of duties,” the official added.
{{/usCountry}}In this instance, the excavation was claimed to be for two road construction projects. However, the work orders for these projects had already lapsed. “With no permission in place, the activity is deemed illegal and unauthorised. Consequently, offences have been registered against 15 to 20 individuals under the Environment (Protection) Act and relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for obstructing a public servant in discharge of duties,” the official added.
{{/usCountry}}Another source from the district administration noted that in the past year alone, local revenue officials filed over 270 cases against individuals involved in illegal mining activities.
