Bhubaneswar, Nov. 16 -- Allegations of illegal stone extraction from the Malati hill range in Cuttack district have taken a serious turn, with residents of Durgapur village under Banki tehsil alleging that a contractor authorised only for morrum lifting has been secretly carrying out large-scale quarrying of valuable stone using heavy machinery and explosives.

The controversy escalated this week after repeated complaints from villagers prompted a joint raid by local authorities, during which one machine was seized. However, the administration has not yet taken full physical custody of all equipment reportedly used at the site.

In the complaints filed with the tehsildar and the mining department, locals alleged that the contractor who wo...