Mining Dept initiates recovery of Rs 630 cr from crushers, contractors

Arun Sharma

Ropar, March 4

The mining department officials have issued notices amounting more than Rs 630 crore for recovery against illegal mining found in areas of Swarah and Baihara villages during 2018. Beside the mining contractor and 92 stone crusher owners, 1,200 land owners have been asked to deposit Rs 464.31 crore for lifting 91.4 lakh MT of mining material from Swaraha village.

locals had complained in 2017

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In November 2017, residents of Baihara village, accompanied by local advocate Dinesh Chadha, who later become MLA from Ropar, had lodged a complaint with the then Deputy Commissioner Gurneet Tej, alleging that a contractor was digging the riverbed using heavy machinery. On inspection, it was found that the riverbed was dug up 18 feet against the permissible limit of 10 feet.

Similarly, mining contractor, 92 stone crusher owners along with six individual land owners have been asked to deposit Rs 165.81 crore for lifting 32.64 lakh metric tonne of mining material from Baihara village land. Baihara village panchayat has also been issued the notice as illegal mining was found in the panchayat land.

In November 2017, residents of Baihara village, accompanied by local advocate Dinesh Chadha who later become MLA from Ropar had lodged a complaint with the then Deputy Commissioner Gurneet Tej, alleging that a contractor was digging the riverbed using heavy machinery. On inspection, it was found that the riverbed was dug up 18 feet against the permissible 10 feet.

In another inspection on February 8, 2018, at Swarha and Harsa Bela, senior officials, including then ADC Lakhmir Singh and Ropar SDM Ruhi Dugg, found that the riverbed was dug up 40 ft deep, and digging was also carried out outside the allotted quarry area.

Chadha also moved an application in this regard at National Green Tribunal and in July 2020 the National Green Tribunal had asked the Punjab State Pollution Control Board to recover Rs 632 crore from the contractors found guilty in illegal sand mining at the three sites in Ropar district. That time too the NGT had directed the authorities to take action against the erring officials within two months.

While no action has been taken against any official for this the contractors challenged the penalty imposed upon them in court.

Ropar mining department Xen Harshant Kumar Verma said that after recovery notice was issued to the mining contractors at Swaraha, he moved to Punjab and Haryana High Court following which the government was directed to reassess the damages and compensation.

After this the mining contractor, 1,200 land owners and 92 stone crusher owners were given opportunity of hearing and now the notices for recovery of Rs 464.31 crore have been issued to them, said the Xen.