Conduct raids to curb illegal mining: Panchkula DC

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, March 30

Panchkula Deputy Commissioner Mahavir Kaushik today directed officials to conduct raids to completely curb illegal mining in the district. He also directed officials to confiscate vehicles involved in illegal mining and register cases against culprits.

Kaushik stated this while presiding over a meeting of the District Task Force constituted for illegal mining, in the auditorium of the District Secretariat here today. He said SDMs of Panchkula and Kalka, BDPOs and tehsildars concerned, along with the District Mining Officer, should conduct surprise inspections in their respective areas once a week and submit reports after taking action against illegal mining.

He directed officers of the Forest Department to ensure that there was no illegal encroachment in the forest area.

Kaushik instructed the Kalka SDM to ensure that no illegal mining takes place in Burjkotian, Jabrot, Dewanwala, Basaula, Paploha, Karanpur, Charanian and Nanakpur villages of the Kalka sub-division. He said if any landlord was found getting illegal mining done in his land, fine should also be imposed on him. He screening plants of the district should be inspected instructed once a week and procurement of raw materials should be checked. He said if the purchase of raw material of any screening plant was found to be from illegal sources, action should be taken against that screening plant and it should be sealed.

District Mining Officer Om Dutt Sharma told the Deputy Commissioner that from April 1, 2022 to March 2023, 188 vehicles involved in illegal mining in the district had been seized and a fine of over Rs 1.11 crore had been recovered. Apart from this, 37 FIRs were also registered. He said in the Kalka and Panchkula sub-divisions till March 28 this month, 16 vehicles involved in illegal mining were seized and a fine of Rs 1.50 lakh was collected. Three FIRs had also been registered in connection with illegal mining. He said two new mining sites had been allotted at Kot and Shyamtu villages in Panchkula district. With this, the number of allotted mining sites has increased to 7 in the district.

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