Mangaluru: A committee comprising police officials has been formed by the Udupi district administration to check illegal sand mining, days after two top women officials were assaulted by illegal miners.

The panel would also take steps to remove unauthorised sheds and other materials stocked on river banks.

The administration has also set a deadline to attach all illegal sheds, Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis told reporters in nearby Udupi, after an emergency meeting to discuss steps to be taken against illegal sand extraction and transportation, yesterday.

She further said the operation would be carried out with police assistance and boats and dredging machinery would be seized using cranes.

On April 2, Francis was assaulted along with Assistant Commissioner Shilpa Nag at Kandlur in Udupi district during a raid on illegal sand mining.

District Superintendent of Police K T Balakrishna said the department was committed to co-operate with the district administration in its effort to crackdown on the sand mafia.