Revenue dept staff launch pen-down strike

The incident occurred when a team of six employees,led by nayab tehsildar DD Kale,were beaten mercilessly by a mob of 50 involved in illegal sand extraction from river Ghod. Shouting anti-government slogans and demanding immediate arrest of culprits,police protection for employees and stringent laws in dealing with sand extractors,the employees gathered outside the collector office in the city on Wednesday and Thursday.

“The team was constituted on the same day and was on their first job. We got information that a JCB and three tractors were extracting sand from Ghod river. We reached the spot at 8 pm and found five people extracting sand. When we asked them to keep their vehicles in the revenue department office,they called up a group of 40 people who beat us with sticks,iron rods and stones. We have already filed a complaint at the Shirur Police Station,” said Laxman Bande,clerk,who was beaten by the group. The revenue department employees suffered serious injuries. “They also snatched our driver’s gold ring,Rs 1,700 and mobile phone ,” added Makarand Gole,another clerk.

Attacks on revenue department staffers by sand mafias has become a common phenomenon and this is the third attack within a year in the district. Last year,one of the employees-Shaikh was killed by the mafia in Shrigonda,while three others were attacked in Daund taluka. “We are demanding arrest of the culprits. The employees of revenue department are constantly threatened by the sand mafias and the ministry has done nothing. Laws should be made stringent,while dealing with such individuals who indulge in such illegal activities,” said DD Kale.

While none of the employees of the revenue department in the district work on Fridays,the revenue departments from other districts are expected to join the cause. “We will be joined by Satara district on Saturday and Kolhapur on Monday.

Meanwhile,Shirur police have identified five persons involved in the incident and RP Godambe,police constable,Shirur Police Station said,“Investigations are on and we will be able to nab the culprits soon.”