Despite vigil, mining unabated in Sirmaur

Tribune News Service
Solan,March 6

The mining mafia from Uttarakhand is operating fearlessly in the border area with Himachal as despite seizure of four material-laden vehicles by a team of mining officials on Thursday evening, a vehicle was driven away by its driver from the Yamuna riverbed near Singhpura in Paonta Sahib subdivision last evening.

Mining officer Sarit Chander said they found four vehicles loaded with illegal quarry material on the banks of Yamuna river near Singhpura on Thursday. The land in question was a forest land which had been auctioned but its mining permission was yet to be granted due to non-completion of certain procedures. The police help was sought to take away these vehicles to the police station.

The four vehicles were being driven to the Singhpura police station after being seized but the driver of one such vehicle managed to hoodwink officials and drove away towards Uttarakhand. All four vehicles bore registration number of Uttrakhand — UK-07-CA-3473, UK-07-CB-9777,UK-07CA-3998 and UK-07-CB-3936.

Since the mining activity has been halted due to the non-completion of due formalities in the auctioned sites, the mining mafia is targeting such sites as they have large quantities of material.

Sirmaur SP Ajay Krishan Sharma said a case under Section 379 of the IPC and Section 21 of the Mines and Mineral Act, 1957, has been registered in this case and further probe was under way.

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