Maharashtra: Fly ash transportation from Parli power plant in Beed begins under police watch

Parli Power Plant. File pic

The transportation of fly ash from the Parli thermal power station in Maharashtra's Beed district has commenced under police protection, following allegations of local gang interference in the fly ash collection business, PTI reports.

Fly ash, a fine byproduct resulting from the combustion of coal, is widely utilised by cement manufacturers and construction industries for producing cement, wall blocks, and other building materials. The movement of this material from the Parli power plant, which generates around 750 MW of electricity daily, began on April 2, according to PTI.

The coal powered thermal plant, operated by the Maharashtra State Power Generation Company (Mahagenco), is situated at Parali Vaijnath in Beed district. After a month-long procedure, Mahagenco finalised 17 contractors to handle the fly ash collection and transportation from Dadahari Wadgaon village, where the plant is based.

To ensure the uninterrupted and safe execution of this operation, police protection has been deployed, Beed Superintendent of Police Navneet Kanwat told reporters on Wednesday. "A total of 21 police personnel have been assigned to provide security for the fly ash lifting process, in response to a request from the power plant authorities," Kanwat stated, as per PTI. He added that the power plant has paid for the additional police deployment.

The need for police security arises from persistent claims by BJP MLA Suresh Dhas, who has publicly accused a so called "fly ash mafia" of threatening contractors and disrupting their work at the Parli facility. Dhas specifically alleged that Walmik Karad, known to be a close associate of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde, is involved in the alleged cartel.

Karad is also the prime accused in the high profile murder case of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed. Deshmukh was reportedly abducted and tortured to death after he allegedly resisted attempts to extort money from a local windmill company.

In light of these concerns, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar recently instructed Beed district officials to adopt a no-nonsense approach, urging them to act firmly against such gangs, irrespective of political affiliations. Pawar also extended this warning to the sand mafia operating in the region, vowing strict enforcement and legal action wherever necessary.

(With inputs from PTI)