Of 25 cases in 5 months, only 9 ended in conviction

Satinder Pal Singh

Dera Bassi, June 20

Since the role of three officers from Dera Bassi came under scanner for their alleged nexus with the mining “mafia”, those connected to the mafia have apparently felt the heat.

According to the police, the activity at the sand quarry sites in Dera Bassi, which used to witness illegal mining, has reduced drastically in the subdivision. However, sources said the illegal sand mining in Dera Bassi could not be stopped completely because of its large scale.

According to the data from police records, 25 cases of illegal mining have been registered in Dera Bassi from January till May 31, 2018. Only nine cases have resulted in conviction while others were either under investigations or under trial, said sources.

After receiving a number of complaints regarding rampant illegal mining in Dera Bassi, including Mubarikpur, Kakrali, Sundran villages, and nearby areas, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had ordered a vigilance inquiry into the matter. Following the directions, the police led a crackdown on a cluster of illegal mining sites in the area.

In March, acting on the directives of the Punjab Government, special multi-department teams, led by Additional Deputy Commissioner Charandev Singh Mann and District Mining Officer, inspected the “illegal” mining areas, especially at Kakrali village, to check the scale of illegal mining in the past.

The teams were also supposed to conduct a physical verification of all sites from where sand has been illegally extracted and prepare an estimate of the financial loss to the state exchequer and send it to the higher authorities.

Charandev Singh Mann, ADC, Mohali, told The Tribune that: “The status report regarding the damage done by the mining contractors is still under process”.

Deepinder Singh Dhillon, General Secretary, PPCC, said: “The government is determined to end illegal and indiscriminate mining operations. I have already instructed the officials concerned to act tough against the culprits.”

Unregistered vehicles

Sources said most of the vehicles carrying mining material impounded by the police in the past few months did not have registration numbers, while tractor-trailers were being used in mining operations in violation of the transport rules framed by the state government.

What MLA NK Sharma says

• Dera Bassi constituency MLA NK Sharma described the crackdown by the state government on illegal mining in the area as a mere eyewash. Sharma said though the police had seized earth-moving machines, including tippers, from Kakrali village and registered cases against the owners of the land where sand had been extracted illegally on the directives of the CM, those who ran the show remain elusive.
• The MLA further stated that in several villages, illegal mining was still going on. Sharma said despite sending videos and images of the sites where sand had been illegally extracted, no action has been taken so far.