People angry over illegal mining on Beas riverbed: Deputy CM

Dharamsala, August 19

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri today visited flood-affected areas in Fatehpur and Indora Assembly constituencies of Kangra district. Talking to The Tribune, he said those affected expressed resentment over rampant illegal mining in their areas.

“At the insistence of flood-affected people, I visited a stone crusher located on the borders of Punjab and Himachal along the Beas. The crusher was operating without any power connection. Huge stocks of illegally mined material were lying there. I have directed the local police to probe into the matter and register an FIR,” he said.

The people alleged that the Beas changed its course due to large-scale illegal mining in the area. The government would order a probe into the matter and action would be taken against all those involved, he said.

The people whose houses were flooded have demanded that they should be allotted land at some safe place so that they could construct their houses there, he said.

The people of Indora and Fatehpur regions have suffered immense losses. The state government would provide all possible relief to the affect people, he said.

The people were all praise for the district administration for rescuing them and providing them shelter in relief camps, he said. They also demanded that the Beas be channelised from the Pong Dam reservoir and no mining should be allowed in its riverbed. The government would consider their demand, he said.