Yamunanagar dist launches crackdown on illegal mining

Deputy Commissioner Preeti on Saturday said that an intensive checking campaign was being carried out across the district to prevent illegal mining and the unauthorised transportation of minerals.

She said that, apart from the Mining Department, officers from departments associated with the District Level Task Force (Mining) were monitoring the campaign in the field with police assistance.

The DC said all checkpoints in the district were being monitored round the clock through the Vehicle Movement Tracking System app.

While chairing a meeting of district officials, she directed that any vehicle found transporting minerals without valid e-transit passes should be seized immediately and action taken as per rules.

To ensure strict enforcement and regular inspections, responsibility has been assigned to the Executive Engineers of the Water Services Division, Jagadhri and Dadupur; the Executive Engineer of Hathini Kund Barrage and Division No. 1, Jagadhri; and Block Development and Panchayat Officers of Jagadhri, Saraswati Nagar, Chhachhrauli, Pratapnagar, Vyaspur, Sadhaura and Radaur.

Instructions were also issued to sarpanches of gram panchayats in the sub-divisions of Jagadhri, Chhachhrauli, Vyaspur and Radaur to assist in preventing illegal mining activities.

The DC directed officials to conduct regular inspections in their respective jurisdictions either personally or through authorised staff. She warned that if illegal mining was found in any area and information was not reported to the SDM concerned, the Mining Officer or the Deputy Commissioner’s office, the officials and sarpanches concerned would be held personally responsible and departmental action would follow.

She added that mining activities could be carried out only at sites duly identified by the district administration.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Naveen Ahuja, SDM Jagadhri Vishwanath, SDM Vyaspur Jaspal Singh Gill, SDM Radaur Narender Kumar, SDM Chhachhrauli Rohit Kumar, Assistant Mining Engineer Dr Rajesh Kumar, DIO Vinay Gulati, BDPOs, Enforcement Bureau In-charge Rajesh Kumar and other officers were present at the meeting.