Madhya Pradesh Congress leaders have sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to put an end to "rampant illegal mining of sand" from Narmada river in the state.
Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president Arun Yadav today wrote a letter to Modi seeking an appointment with him when he visits the state next month.
The prime minister is expected to attend a function in Anupur district on May 15 to mark culmination of the Narmada Seva Yatra, a state government campaign launched on December 11 last year.
"Our state party chief Arun Yadav has written a letter to Modi seeking an appointment with him. A delegation of 15 Congressmen wants to meet and apprise him of the rampant illegal mining underway in Narmada river," state Congress' chief spokesperson KK Mishra said in a release this evening.
"We want the illegal mining in Narmada, the lifeline of MP, to end," he added.
Mishra said the Congress had requested the prime minister not to attend the concluding function.
"On February 3, we wrote a letter to prime minister and attached documents relating to illegal mining in Narmada, requesting him not to grace the function organised to mark the end of the Yatra," he said.
Mishra stated that the letter sought to draw Modi's attention towards "unabated illegal mining of sand from Narmada in the last 11 years under Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's rule".
The Congress leader claimed that 800 to 1000 lorries have been illegally excavating sand from the river daily at a time when the Yatra is underway since December 11. "Moreover, 1200 boats and other equipment have been used daily to illegally mine sand," he alleged.
According to Mishra, around 3000 to 4000 workers hired by "mafias" have been excavating sand from the river every day.
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