Mining sites inspected in Dera Bassi

Satinder Pal Singh

Dera Bassi, March 10

Acting on directives of the Punjab Government, special multi-department teams, led by Additional Deputy Commissioner Charandev Singh Mann, along with the District Mining Officer, on Saturday began the inspection of the areas where illegal mining was taking place. They also inspected the sites at Kakrali village near Dera Bassi. 

The inspection was conducted after Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh ordered a Vigilance probe and decided to set up teams to check illegal mining in various districts of Punjab.

A team, comprising officials from from the Taxation, Revenue, and Mining Departments, and led by Additional Deputy Commissioner Charandev Singh Mann, along with District Mining Officer Simarpreet Kaur, visited Kakrali village. 

The teams constituted for the purpose has also been asked to verify the sites from where sand has been illegally extracted by the mafia and also prepare an estimate of the financial loss to the state exchequer and sent it to the higher authorities.

Taking cognizance of illegal mining in Dera Bassi subdivison by some nefarious elements, allegedly in connivance with officials, the ADC, Mohali, on Saturday sought an action taken report from the naib tehsildar after the team found an illegally mined material lying near a site behind Chitvan Palace at Kakrali village during the inspection.

Similarly, the team visited the site near Mubarikpur village and the investigation suggested that illegal quarrying had been done in 10 acres by in the area. The team also spotted the land dug up at least by 10-15 ft near a hospital site in Nagla village. The inspection team also seized an earth-moving  machine, which was without a registration number.

Officials added that the probe would cover various aspects like damage to the riverbed and demarcation of the area of legally auctioned quarries. 

The ADC has asked officials of the Revenue Department to submit a status reports to him. The ADC further added that the inspection of all crushers and screening plants operational in the subdivision must be carried out on a priority basis. 

7 booked for illegal mining, four held

• The Mubarikpur police have arrested Raj Kumar, a resident of Haryana, and his accomplice Sukhwinder Singh of Gurdaspur in Punjab, on the charge of illegal mining. The duo was arrested after they failed to show valid documents to the team at a naka near Kakrali village. The police also impounded two loaded tippers. A case has been registered against an unidentified person after an inspection team found illegally-mined quarry material lying near a mining site behind Chitvan Palace at Kakrali village on Friday.
• Acting on a complaint of Baljeet Singh, BLEO, Dera Bassi, the police registered a case and also seized a an earth-moving machine from near a hospital site at Nagla village.
• The Dera Bassi police on Saturday registered a case against five persons under the Mining Act. The police arrested Rai Singh and seized an earth-moving machine. Similalry Lakhwinder Pal and Nirmal Singh, residents of Kuranwala, Dera Bassi, were arrested with a tractor and loaded tipper, respectively.
• The police also booked Bachna Ram and Ram Karan, residents of Kuranwala, under the Mining Act.