Dhubri/Kokrajhar: A powerful land-mining syndicate continues to operate fearlessly in Dhubri and the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), allegedly unbothered even by the state’s Chief Minister. Despite the government’s ongoing statewide eviction drives and initiatives to save forest land, large-scale illegal excavation of forest areas, hills, and riverbeds continues unabated.
For the past month, extensive illegal mining has been reported across BTR’s Parbatjhora region and several locations in Dhubri district. Red soil from the hills and sand from the Gangadhar river are being extracted openly without proper permits. Operators reportedly use permissions from other locations to mask the illegal activities.
Local residents allege that the mining mafia shows no fear of the state administration or the Chief Minister’s crackdown on environmental destruction. The syndicate is accused of running a well-coordinated operation involving numerous dumpers that transport excessively overloaded soil and sand day and night, endangering commuters and disturbing local residents.
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Serious allegations have been raised against officials of Parbatjhora Forest Division and Dhubri Forest Division, including the respective forest officers Avinash Basumatary and Golap Kumar Bania. Locals claim that these officers have turned a blind eye while illegal mining continues uninterrupted.
Additionally, Balaji Constructions—responsible for constructing stretches of the National Highway—has been accused of procuring illegally mined soil through the syndicate. According to allegations, large amounts of government revenue are being evaded through manipulation, bribery, and misuse of transport and forest permissions. It is alleged that certain officials from the Forest Department, Police, and District Transport Department are financially benefitting from the illegal trade.
The Dhubri District Students’ Union has lodged complaints against Balaji Constructions, warning that they will launch a road blockade agitation if the illegal mining activities are not stopped immediately.
Even forest-allotted soil portals—assigned to individual permit holders—are reportedly being exploited. Instead of following the quantity and regulations prescribed by the Forest Department, many portal owners allegedly prioritise profit, engaging in large-scale manipulation and mismanagement.
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Residents report that the mining syndicate acts with impunity, claiming to have influence over multiple departments. Dumpers loaded far beyond permissible limits run unchecked through local roads, causing noise and safety hazards late into the night. Allegedly, a single challan is used for multiple trips, and in some cases dumpers run without any challan at all.
Locals state that both BTR administration and the Dhubri district administration remain silent, with many connecting this silence to the huge sums of black money circulating within the illegal operations. Sources suggest that several influential individuals are involved in this illegal mining network.
