Nagpur: Maharashtra revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday announced the formation of a special task force to dismantle the alleged nexus between govt officials and illegal sand and mineral smugglers, warning of strict action against officers found shielding such networks.Replying to a question raised by Congress MLA Nana Patole in the legislative assembly, Bawankule informed that the state govt had taken serious note of organised illegal mining as well as the alleged collusion of some officials with smugglers.“This is not merely a case of illegal sand extraction. It is a matter of organised collusion between smugglers and sections of the administration. We have discussed the issue in detail with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and the govt will act aggressively to dismantle this nexus,” Bawankule said.Bawabkule further announced that the Electronic Transit System (ETS) would also be rolled out across Maharashtra this year in order to monitor the extraction and transportation of minor minerals and sand.Through the digital tracking mechanism, the govt plans to monitor ongoing mining activity and examine records of suspected illegal excavation over the past decade.“The govt is fully committed to preventing a recurrence of such incidents. We are taking aggressive steps to break the collusion between sand smugglers and corrupt elements within the system,” Bawankule told the House.
