Gadchiroli Collector Establishes Special Panel to Investigate Illegal Sand Diversion District collector Avishyant Panda of Gadchiroli announced on Friday the formation of a special inquiry committee to investigate allegations of illegal sand diversion from the district’s reserved sand ghats at Gurnoli and Ghati. The probe follows media reports highlighting the unauthorized supply of sand intended for the Gharkul housing scheme beneficiaries to private contractors. The collector’s office emphasized that those found guilty in the inquiry will face strict disciplinary action. The investigation was prompted by concerns over the misuse of reserved sand resources, which are meant to support specific projects and local residents. The collector’s office has also initiated technical measures to prevent future irregularities. Instructions were issued to Pune-based Shaurya Technosoft Pvt Ltd, a company contracted by the state government for e-governance initiatives, to modify the Mahakhanij system. This system now requires prior approval from the collector for any access to sand from Gadchiroli’s reserved ghats, except for local residents’ personal use and Gharkul beneficiaries. Under the updated protocol, local residents can obtain sand for personal consumption by paying a royalty of Rs600 and applicable charges. In contrast, Gharkul beneficiaries are entitled to up to 5 brass of sand free of cost. The distribution of sand is being managed at the tehsildar level across all talukas. According to administrative data, 1,771 local residents have received 14,246 brass of sand for personal use, while 32,129 Gharkul beneficiaries have been allocated 1,61,320 brass.#ghati #avishyant_panda #gadchiroli_collector #gurnoli #gharkul_housing_scheme
