Big mining scam waiting to be unearthed in MP: Congress

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Congress today alleged that a mining scam, much bigger than the Bellary scam in Karnataka would unearth in the state, if a proper probe is carried out.

Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Ajay Singh alleged that illegal mining of sand is taking place in Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's very own constituency in Sehore district, along the banks of the river Narmada.

Demanding a high-level probe into the matter, Singh said that he had been regularly raising the issue of illegal mining in the state assembly.

He also said a committee of Congress MLAs had found that in Sehore district's Nasrullaganj area, the company, which had been given the sand-mining contract, had illegally carried out activities in ten villages, even though permission was granted only in four villages.

"Shiva Construction company was granted a permission for sand mining in 16 hectares area in four villages-Ambaajdeep, Baadgaon, Santdev and Neelkanth. However, it had carried out mining operations in 377 hectares area, causing a threat to the course of the river and environment," Singh said.

The Congress committee, comprising MLAs Yadvendra Singh, Govind Singh Rajput, Bhagwan Singh Rajput, Dr Prabhuram Choudhry and Sadhna Sthapak, had visited the area on January 3 to collect the information, he said.

Congress is exploring all possible options, including a legal action against the BJP government on the issue.