Minerals being plundered in Lahaul-Spiti areas, say tribals

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 3

The tribals in Lahaul-Spiti have accused a Jalandhar-based private company, engaged by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in construction of the Manali-Keylong-Leh highway, of plundering the mineral wealth of Chandra and Bhaga rivers in alleged connivance with the top brass of the mining department. The company is running the two stone crushers without permission from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) and NOCs from pollution control board and other government agencies, they allege.

Though the BRO claim “they have nothing to do with the stone crushers”, the tribals charge that the BRO contractor from Jalandhar is running the two benami stone crushers at Koksar in Chandra valley and Zing-Zing Bar in Bhaga valley as the contractor enjoys clout with some influential locals and a minister in the government.

The tribals have cited the video and pictures showing how the “illegal stone crushers are being run in the tribal belt with impunity. We have lodged complaint with the mining department and district administration in October last. The private contractor is violating all rules and he has no permission from the MOEF”, charged Sudarshan Thakur from Gramin Yuva Sangathan, Lahaul.

The tribals allege that the industry department is not taking action as the company enjoys political patronage of a powerful minister.

In famous Samta case, the Supreme Court had held that sale, transfers and even lease of tribal land to non-tribals are illegal, Thakur said, adding that “the state mining department cannot lease land to non-tribals and private contractor is running benami stone crushers”, he charged.

There is no district mining officer in Lahaul-Spiti, the tribals resent. “We have lodged complaints with police, industry and administration, but to no avail”, they rued.

The General Manager, Industry, Lahaul-Spiti, Chander Bhushan, who is additional in charge of the Mining Department, said they had shut down the Koksar stone crusher. Palmo and Zing Zing Bar stone crushers are on the BRO road sides and the contractor has applied for renewal of permanent registration, he claimed. He claimed that they would take action if the BRO contractor was found extracting minerals illegally.