Deep nexus: Mining firms dump debris on panchayat land in Mahendragarh villages

Tribune News Service

Ravinder Saini

Mahendragarh, August 21

Private firms engaged in mining have illegally been dumping debris on panchayat land at several villages in the district, rendering the land unfit for leasing and causing loss of revenue to panchayats. The District Block Development and Panchayat Office has put two such firms on notice, asking them to pay Rs 2.75 crore as rent for using 86 kanal land at Meghot Binja village. It has also asked the district mining officer to auction the debris if the firms fail to deposit the amount, sources said.

Told to pay Rs 2.75 cr rent or face action

• Two firms dumped debris on panchayat land at Meghot Binja
• Officials say this way the firms make more space for mining
• Owners issued notices and told to pay Rs 2.75 crore rent
• In case of non-payment, their material will be auctioned

They said one of the firms had been using the panchayat land for four years. When a notice was issued last year, the firm assured of vacating the land within 45 days, but nothing was done. An official said, “The motive behind using the panchayat land is to create more space for mining. The firms then carry out illegal mining outside their allotted area. As per rules, debris should be used for filling pits at the mining sites, but it is sold to earn extra income.”

The sources said the panchayats had obtained permission to lease out land to stone crushing units, but the mining firms were neither paying any rent nor vacating the land. Parmod Kumar, Block Development and Panchayat Officer, Nangal Choudhary, said debris dumped by the two firms had been seized.

“The material will be auctioned to recover the losses if the firms fail pay the rent for illegally using the panchayat land,” he said. Niranjan Lal, Mining Officer, could not be contacted.

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