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A system of toll plazas equipped with barcoding equipment could soon be used to keep check on illegal sand mining in Maharashtra. The state government is planning to develop such a system.

Balasaheb Thorat, revenue minister in the state government, has told the house that the state government has been contemplating such a measure.

“In order to keep a check on illegal sand transport, government is planning to set up a bar-coding system at various toll plazas across the state. The toll receipt will have a barcode number (printed) on it. This will help calculating number of times a particular truck passes through the toll plaza and how much sand he is allowed to carry,” Balasaheb Thorat said.

The minister’s reply came in response to the questions raised by the opposition leaders. The MLCs led by Shiv Sena group leader Diwakar Raote staged a walkout over “unsatisfactory” reply from Thorat over the issue of illegal sand mining. He also pressed for enacting stringent laws to curb illegal sand mining in the state.

The minister claimed that the workers from political parties seek to bail out unauthorised sand extractors when they are caught by police by making phone calls for their release.

“Workers from political parties who later go on to become leaders (ruling as well as opposition parties) make a call and intervene into the matter after a truck loaded with illegally mined sand is caught by the police,” Thorat said in a reply during question hour.

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