Panaji:
Police raid at the site of 2014 National Games near Panaji has unearthed a massive illegal stone quarrying racket.
State Mines and Geology Department, which inspected the site after the police raid, found that there were more than 10 pits, measuring around 2,500 sq mts each, from where laterite stone was being extracted.
Police confiscated ten trucks and three power tillers involved in quarrying. The site, near Dhargalim village, 30 km from here, has been acquired by Sports Ministry for National Games 2014, to set up a Sports City.
Assistant Director, Mines, Raju Gawas, told reporters today that the illegal stone extraction activity was going on for some time. The Department had also written to the Sports Ministry about the illegal mining, but it was yet to get any respond, he said.
Mines Department had now decided to survey the entire area with the Global positioning System (GPS), he said.
Portuguese Commonwealth Games 2013 are also proposed to be held at the site once infrastructure is in place.