Limestone stolen from illegal mining zone

Porbandar, Oct 17: A squad comprising the Mines and Mineral Department from Gandhinagar and local administrative officials who were investigating into the illegal minining, today detected theft of limestone worth Rs 12.5 crore.

Porbandar District Collector H N Chibbar told mediapersons here the team had launched an operation yesterday at Ranabaradi and Aniari villages of Ranavav Taluka of the district and detected the theft worth Rs 12.5 crore.

The aim of the drive was to curb illegal mining, he added.

It maybe recalled that on Octobor 4, Saurashtra Chemicals Limited, a leading soda-ash manufacturer, had lodged a complaint for illegal minining in the company's land and had named Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president and former Irrigation Minister Babubhai Bhokiria, former Congress MP Bharat Odedra, Porbandar Mafia king Bhima Oedara and his son Laxman Odedra.

According to the complaint, they were allegedly involved in illegal mining on the company land. Subseqently, the Porbandar police and local administration investigating into illegal mining had detected theft of limestones worth Rs 54 crore during drive on October 9.

Limestones procured from these mines were supplied to chemical and cement factories in Porbandar, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar districts.

UNI