Mumbai, July 17 (IANS) Maharashtra Industry Minister Uday Samant on Thursday informed the Legislative Council that a corruption case involving silt removal from the Mithi river has exposed a fraud worth Rs 65 crore in three years and that an investigation into the matter has currently underway since 2006.

He was replying to a question raised by member Prasad Lad regarding the silting of the Mithi River.

Stating that the special investigation team (SIT) has examined more than three lakh photos between 2012 and 2021, Minister Samant said that some accused are currently under arrest in this case, and applications for anticipatory bail have also been filed.

“The investigation has revealed that work was not done or done incorrectly in many places, and the government has a list of the contractors involved in this. Strict action will be taken against the guilty without protecting any political figures in the entire case. This scam occurred because the extracted sludge was approved to be dumped in private land instead of being dumped in a landfill,” he added.

Meanwhile, as gutkha and pan masala products are being transported and sold in the state, a proposal will be sent to the Law and Justice Department for guidance on whether a case can be registered under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act against the person responsible for it, said Food and Drug Administration Minister Narhari Zirwal, who informed during the Question Hour in the Legislative Council.

Member Shrikant Bhartiya had asked a question regarding the effective implementation of the Gutkha Ban Scheme in the state. At this time, Leader of the Opposition Ambadas Danve and Member Praveen Darekar asked a sub-question.

In his response, Minister Zirwal said that the current law is applicable for a year only, and this has been the practice since 2012. However, he admitted that the time is ripe to change this. He said that illegal goods worth Rs 450 crore have been seized, and more than 10 thousand cases have been registered.

Minister Zirwal said that the shortage of manpower is a major problem in the Food and Drug Administration Department. However, now that new candidates have been sent for training, this problem will soon be resolved, and it will be possible to effectively implement the Gutkha Ban Scheme on a large scale.

Expressing concern over the increasing consumption of carcinogenic substances in some places in the state, especially in the border areas, he also said that investigation officers will be appointed in areas like Dahisar, Mulund, and Malad to investigate the sale of gutkha, and strict action will be taken against the culprits.

–IANS

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