Will take up illegal mining issue with Punjab: Himachal minister

Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan today said Himachal will take up the issue of illegal mining due in the border areas in Kangra district with the Punjab Government and also file a writ petition in the High Court.

The issue of illegal mining near Shah Nehar was raised by Fatehpur MLA Bhawani Pathania during Zero Hour in the Vidhan Sabha, today. He said if this illegal mining activity is not curbed, it could pose a major threat to all low lying areas in Himachal and Punjab.

The minister admitted that illegal mining by people from Punjab was being undertaken in the border areas of Kangra, taking advantage of the boundary dispute between the two states. “Illegal crushers of Punjab are operating in Himachal areas and undertaking extraction, causing huge damage. There is a boundary dispute and many times Nurpur police have arrested these people but since the boundary is not demarcated the police had to leave them,” he said.

The minister said people are illegally undertaking mining within Himachal territory. “Unlike Himachal, where mining is done as per rules, Punjab and Uttrakhand do not follow rules and flout all norms,” Chauhan said.

He raised the issue of damage to Shah Nehar project due to illegal mining by a crusher in Changurwa village falling in Talwara Tehsil in Hoshiarpur district. “There are seven stone crushers in Chak Mirpur in Punjab and as per Punjab Mining Policy, it is not mandatory to have land mining lease to run a stone crusher in Punjab. They are extracting minerals from Himachal territory,” he said.