Drive to detect fake e-transit passes intensified in Yamunanagar

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Yamunanagar, June 4

Fake e-transit passes (e-rawanas) are allegedly being prepared by screening plant owners and stone crushers in Yamunanagar district to transport mining minerals, including sand, stone, stone dust, core-sand and bajri.

This document is reportedly being forged by owners of several stone crushers and screening plants allegedly to hide their involvement in illegal mining and evade sales tax and royalty amount to the government.

Forging documents

• During checking on May 31, the driver of a truck loaded with mining mineral produced an e-transit pass before Mines & Geology Dept, Yamunanagar
• When authorities of the mining dept checked the e-transit pass on the online portal (e-rawana) of the state government, remark ‘invalid’ showed on the system

The authorities of the Mines and Geology Department recently detected a fake e-transit pass during the checking of a vehicle. They said the detection of this one case was indicative of a bigger scam, therefore they had intensified the checking drive to detect more cases of fake e-transit passes.

“We were astonished when we detected the fake e-transit pass recently during the checking of a vehicle loaded with mining mineral in the Pratap Nagar block area of the district. This was the first case of fake e-transit pass that came to light. But, we think that there may be a bigger scam; therefore we are seriously working to detect more cases,” said Rajesh Sangwan, assistant mining engineer (AME), Mines and Geology Department, Yamunanagar.

During a checking drive on May 31, the driver of a truck loaded with mining mineral produced an e-transit pass before the team of the Mines and Geology Department.

The said truck belonged to a stone crusher situated in Belgarh village of the district and the e-transit pass was issued to it (to the truck) by the owners of the said stone crusher on May 29.

However, when the authorities of the mining department checked the said e-transit pass on the online portal (e-rawana portal) of the state government, remark ‘invalid’ showed on the system. The authorities also found that a fake mineral dealer licence number and other fake information were entered in that e-transit pass issued by the said stone crusher.