DSP served notice for illegal mining on Sutlej riverbed

BOX: SSP marks inquiry

SSP Dhruman H Nimbale has asked SP (D) Jagatpreet Singh to look into the reports of illegal mining. Under a notice served on Dharamkot DSP Subeg Singh, the official has been asked to file a reply on the corrective measures being taken to curb illegal mining.

Kulwinder Sandhu

Tribune News Service

Moga, October 5

Illegal mining is reportedly going on unabated on the Sutlej basin in Moga district. Involvement of local police officials could also not be ruled out, as SSP Dhruman H Nimbale has marked an inquiry into it.

The SSP has asked SP (D) Jagatpreet Singh to look into the reports of illegal mining. A notice has also been served upon Dharamkot DSP Subeg Singh asking him to file a reply on the corrective measures being taken.

A few days back, the local police had booked a Kot-ise-Khan firm — MS Rana and Company — under the IPC and the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, which allegedly dumped and stored huge quantity of sand on the outskirts of Sherpur Taiba village.

The SSP had maintained that the mining contractors were selling sand without weighing, issuing computerised slips and keeping a record of the vehicles transporting it. Further, the SP (D) would conduct an investigation into it.

It may be mentioned that five cases of illegal mining had been registered by the local police during the past couple of weeks. Many tractor-trailers, tippers and heavy machines had also been seized by the police.

Moga mining officer Gursimran Singh Gill however, claimed that no illegal mining was going on in the district. The case registered by the police against the Kot-ise-Khan firm was wide of the mark. “The MS Rana and Company had been allotted a mining site on the Sutlej belt, which falls under the Jalandhar district. Since, there is no route available to them on the other side in Jalandhar district; the mining department had allowed them to pass their vehicles through Moga. Accordingly, the company dumped sand at Sherpur Taiba village. No illegality is involved in it,” he said.

Earlier, before the onset of monsoon, The Tribune in its report “Illegal mining unabated on Sutlej riverbed in Moga” published in these columns on April 7, this year, had highlighted that mining mafia had hired local vehicles to transport sand from the riverbed during night to yards in the nearby villages on the pretext of “own use”. Actually, this sand was being stored and supplied to consumers from there. Local police officials during raids found heaps of sand stored in villages adjoining the Sutlej, but, no legal action was taken against the big fish involved in illegal mining activities.

DSP Subeg Singh, while talking to The Tribune, denied the reports of illegal mining and claimed that no illegal mining was going on in his area.