Illegal mining on in Moga village, DM orders probe

Kulwinder Sandhu

Tribune News Service

Moga, February 24

Illegal mining allegedly in connivance with politicians of the ruling Congress and officials of the Rural Development and Panchayat Department has been reported on the panchayat land at Takhtupura village in the Nihalsinghwala subdivision of Moga district.

The top soil (earth) and sand from at least 5 acres belonging to the village pond was allegedly sold by the panchayat members.

According to estimates, the top soil and sand of the pond worth Rs40 lakh to Rs50 lakh has already been sold to some locals.

On visiting the site, it was found that a tractor was levelling a pathway to enable the movement of heavy vehicles for transporting out the soil and sand from inside the pond.

A local, who came to purchase the soil to raise the level of his plot, preferring anonymity, said he had purchased it at the rate of Rs 600 per tractor-trailer.

It was found that the entire stretch of the panchayat land (pond) was deeply excavated, posing danger to the local ecology. The ground level of the pond was 10 to 12 feet deeper than nearby areas.

Locals Sampuran Singh and Manjit Singh alleged that illegal mining operations were going on for the past many weeks. They alleged that the senior leadership of the ruling Congress was also hand in glove with the village panchayat in the illegal mining operations.

In a letter written to Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and District Magistrate (DM) Sandeep Hans, they alleged that illegal mining had also posed danger to nearby houses, which were on the brink of disaster.

However, local Block Development and Panchayat Officer Kirpal Singh, talking to a section of the media, denied the allegations of illegal mining, saying that the village panchayat had just deepened the pond, which was full of filth. During the ensuing monsoon, it overflowed and caused damage to nearby fields therefore, it was essential to clean it, he said.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that the DM Sandeep Hans has sought a detailed report on the allegations of illegal mining from the Rural Development and Panchayat Department so that action could be taken.