(MENAFN- IANS) Mumbai, July 16 (IANS) Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said on Wednesday, in the state assembly, that henceforth the Revenue and Police Departments will jointly take strict action against illegal sand mining and transportation, and the vehicles involved will not only face fines but also criminal charges.

The Revenue and Home Departments have issued a joint government resolution to curb sand mafias through stringent measures in cases of illegal sand mining, usage, and transportation, he added.

Minister Bawankule clarified that previously, vehicles caught transporting illegal sand were fined by the Revenue Department and released. However, under the new government resolution, both the Revenue and Police Departments will independently take action against such vehicles.

“If the Revenue Department seizes a vehicle, the Police will also act, and if the Police seize a vehicle, the Revenue Department will take action. This will result in fines from both departments and the filing of criminal charges.”

Bawankule emphasised that this new policy will introduce tougher measures to curb illegal sand mining.“This government resolution will be made available to all, and its implementation will begin immediately. No leniency will be shown to sand mafias. Transparent and strict action will ensure justice for the common people and protection of the environment,” he added.

Meanwhile, Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan said that a meeting will be held soon for the remaining works of the Jhansinagar Upsa Irrigation Scheme, and the project will be followed up with the Central government to obtain the necessary approvals. He was replying to a question raised in the state assembly by Member Rajkumar Badole.

Minister Mahajan said that the original administrative approval for the Jhansinagar Upsa Irrigation Scheme was given on 18 October 1996. After that, the second revised approval was received on 18 March 2017. However, since some part of the project falls in the forest area, some work is pending. Still, some work has been going on since 1996, and a total expenditure of Rs 95.68 crore has been spent on the scheme till the end of May 2025.

The minister further stated that irrigation has been started in some areas from 2022-23. The area of this project was included in the Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve in 2013-14. Later, this area was declared an environmentally sensitive buffer zone in 2016. On 29 August 2024, officials of the Forest, Wildlife and Water Resources Department conducted a joint inspection.

He said that it was made clear that permission from the National Wildlife Board is mandatory for carrying out the remaining work of the Jhansinagar project.

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