A Dinajpur court on Friday sent an ex- Jubo League leader to jail as he allegedly threatened a government servant and obstructed his work over the lease of a local sand quarry (Balu Mahal) in Khansama upazila.

Works of development projects are being hampered because of sand crisis as there is no fixed sand quarry (Balu Mahal) in Kurigram, government officials say.   A proposal from Rajarhat upazila administration for setting up nine sand quarries is yet to be approved by the government.   Sources say sand traders have long been lifting and selling sand illegally from different places in Rajarhat upazila using about 50 dredgers.   Rajarhat Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Jubayer Hossain confiscated and burned some of the dredgers during drives. Sand lifting remained suspended for a month which triggered sand crisis in the upazila.   According to the upazila Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) office, the ongoing development projects are - construction of 2,250-metre road at a cost of Tk 1.72 crore, 3,244-metre road for Tk 2.44 crore in Rajarhat union, work of 1,372-metre road at Tk 86.82 lakh, work of 1,028-metre road for Tk 67.38 lakh, work of 1,327-metre road at Tk 86.82lakh in Gharialdanga union, work of 100-metre road at a cost of Tk 62.18 lakh in Chhinai union, work 1,462-metre road in Rajmallir hat of Umar Majid union, work of 1,068-metre road from Milerpar to Bidhyananda in Chakirposhar union and work of 1,500 metre road at a cost of Tk 1.6 crore from Kalirhat to Bijlir bazar in Bidyananda union.   Besides, different road construction projects at a cost of around Tk 50 crore under the Rural Road and Culvert Maintenance Programme, Important Rural Infrastructure Development on priority Basis (IRIDP) and Rural development project (RDP) of LGED are also underway.   Amid sand crisis, works of several roads have been kept suspended.   Abu Taher Md Safi Babu, an engineer of upazila LGED, said development works of different areas of the upazila has been put on hold due to sand crisis.   According to upazila administration office source, a proposal was sent to the concerned ministry through the district administration for setting up sand quarries at Juykumar of Chhinai union, Sarishabari of Gharialdanga union, Pathanhat and Shiber Dah of Chakirposhar union, Chotura and Kalirhat of Bidyananda union, and Somnarayan and Thutapaikor of Nazimkhan union. Till now, the proposal has not been approved.   Rajarhat Upazila Chairman Zahid Iqbal Suhrawardy said setting up the sand quarries will solve the sand crisis and help resume works of the development projects.