The 50-odd mini roads between Karnataka and Kerala have been the defacto route of tax evaders costing crores of rupees to the exchequer of each state .
How many illegal ways one can imagine from entering one State to another to bypass police patrolling or check posts? Five, 10, a dozen..?
Then wonder for a while to acknowledge that there are more than 50 mini roads between Karnataka and Kerala which have been the defacto route of tax evaders costing crores of rupees to the exchequer of each State. If sand and chicken are the two hot commodities smuggled to Kerala, in return, rubber is entering Karnataka which goes to North Indian markets and abroad. And the illegal wealth created by these inter-state rackets create communal tensions and other criminal activities in Kasargod district which caused an uproar during discussion in Kerala Assembly last year.
Sand mafia network
Though the inter-state transportation of sand from Karnataka is banned with a temporary exception given to Lakshadweep, the porous border makes it sure that ban exists in paper only. Currently, the areas in and around Gwalimukha, a place close to Kerala border is the seat of sand smuggling. The sand collected from Nethravati River at B C Road and from Kumaradara River at Uppinangadi and Savanoor will be stored at Gwalimukha, Karnoor and nearby areas of Kuthukuli. The sand is being collected by availing pass from gram panchayats claiming that it was for house construction. The same pass will be used for different loads. During nights and wee hours, the stored sand will find its route to Kerala.
A 10 tonne of sand which costs Rs 3,000 in Karnataka is being sold in Kasargod, Kannur and Kozhikode districts of Kerala for an exorbitant Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000. The cost will sky rocket according to the distance and this unchecked practice for long has caused formation of rackets along the border. In DK district, 753 cases of illegal sand transportation have been booked in 2013 with a penalty of more than Rs 70 lakh.The sand smuggling mafia has ‘appointed’ several unemployed youth in the area to give information about any advancement from the part of police or revenue officials. Agents are ubiquitous in Nattakal, Mulleria, Aadhur areas to find potential sand customers and fix a deal. The sand laden tipper lorries moving through the narrow roads of Bellur, Karadka, Badiyadka, Enmakajea, Manjeshwar, Meencha, Paivalike, Vorkady panchayats will have an escort vehicle in front and back to physically counter any possible checking.
On June 29, when Kasargod probationary ASP Dr J Himendranath who has been instrumental against the sand smuggling, was chasing a sand laden truck near Perla check post, the gang suddenly overturned the sand in front of a swiftly approaching ASP’s vehicle to endanger him. The ASP escaped from the spot only after firing two rounds. The umpteen numbers of mini roads through Plantation Corporation’s cashew estate too come as a boon for smugglers. Besides, the connivance with check post officials and police favour the mafia in the form of leaking information of raids and searches. “The terrain is such that it is impossible to be on alert round the clock. We are doing our best,” says Kumbla Circle Inspector P K Suresh Babu. According to rule, a lorry can transport only 10 tonnes of sand in Karnataka but this has been grossly violated by carrying 20 or more tonnes. The over-capacity load vehicles damage the roads, complains Rajesh, a localite in Nattakal.
Karnataka on action
As the construction field in Dakshina Kannada faces a severe shortage of sand, the authorities went on action to plug the loopholes. As many as 1,000 loads of sand and 40 odd vehicles were seized in a short span from across the border and other places. This resulted in a slump in the activity in Gwalimukha, say localites. But it will resume soon once authorities retreat from the scene, Basheer, a shopkeeper in Minchipadavu told Deccan Herald. Kerala too set up a temporary police picket post at Minchipadavu in Karaduka panchayat, but people are not contended. They demand for a permanent solution to plug the porous border which is a herculean task, considering the geography of the region.