HC seeks fresh report on illegal mining

Legal Correspondent

Shimla, August 31

The HP High Court today directed the state government to file fresh status report on the issue of illegal mining at Palampur.

While passing this order, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Sandeep Sharma also took on record a news item published in these columns under the headline “Roads constructed by mining mafia dismantled”on August 30 regarding the arrest of two persons for allegedly constructing an illegal road to the Neugal river (Palampur) for extracting mining material.

The court passed these orders on a petition taken up suo moto by the court as public interest litigation.

It was reported in the news that the SDM, Palampur had received complaints from the residents of Sulaha area that illegal mining was going on unchecked in Neugal River near Paror at Palampur. This was damaging local paths, water channels and even cremation ground. It was further reported that the illegal mining was not only resulting in large-scale environmental degradation but also causing loss to the state exchequer as the mining material was being lifted without paying royalty to the state government.

During hearing of the petition the court further observed that it was not understandable whether the district administration was sleeping when the mining mafia was constructing the road, which now stands dismantled.