Tura(Meghalaya), Aug 4: State forest officials from West Garo Hills (WGH) today summoned the contractor who was involved in the illegal quarrying of stones and sand gravel extraction and are likely to draw up charges against the person.
Wadagokgre is a historical site close to Old Bhaitbari in WGH and has been facing the brunt of illegal squatters as well as the quarrying of stones, even from within the ASI site itself.
The contractor, Abdul Rashid, had in collusion with the Nokma of Wadagokgre, began quarrying and sand gravel extraction from within the village of Wadagokgre despite the area being declared a heritage site by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI). The current instance is at least the second time that the Nokma of the area has allowed for such illegal acts.
A complaint of the illegal act was lodged by concerned residents last week following which a state forest team rushed to the site to ensure no further destruction took place.
The Nokma had then claimed that verbal permission for the extraction of sand gravel and stone quarrying was given by a forest official after which he allowed Rashid to begin extraction.
Confirming the development, DFO Sachin Gavade said, “We have summoned Rashid and will be drawing up an offence report soon. Further the name of one of the GHADC forest officials has cropped up and we are investigating the extent of their link in this.”
The Nokma too is currently under the scanner of the department for his involvement into the illegal quarrying and for allowing the same despite being warned earlier. He had apparently sold the entire area to be extracted for only a few hundred rupees per truck.
