Graft case against Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Sangat Singh Gilzian: Mining officials under scanner

Tribune News Service

Rajmeet Singh

Chandigarh, July 19

The role of Mining Department’s officials has come under the scanner in the alleged corruption case registered against former Forest Ministers Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and Sangat Singh Gilzian.

As a result, the Vigilance Bureau has widened the scope of the investigation. “This corruption case is not just confined to the Forest Department. The role of certain mining officials in facilitating illegal mining has come to the fore during investigation,” said a senior government official.

The missing link

Vigilance verifying how come the “khasra number” of the forestland was included in the auction notification of the Mining Department

Alleged illegal mining was carried out either on the forestland or along the Sutlej between 2018 and 2021 under the garb of auctioned mining sites

Sources said the probe highlighted the role of mining officials in illegal mining at Zindapur village in Chamkaur Sahib and other sites in Ropar district.

The investigation revealed that illegal mining was carried out either on the forestland or along the Sutlej between 2018 and 2021 under the garb of auctioned mining sites.

As per the standard practice, a district mining committee, set up under the Deputy Commissioner, comprises officials from different departments, who need to ensure inclusion of “khasra number” in the auction notification.

The Vigilance has been verifying how come the “khasra number” of the forestland was included in the auction notification of the Mining Department.

Recently, the Vigilance had detected illegal mining on 25 acres of the forestland in Zindapur village. It was pointed out that around 50-ft-deep pits were dug up and around Rs 40 crore worth of illegal mining was carried out.

The police had booked Iqbal Singh, a former sarpanch, for illegal mining at Zindapur last year. Iqbal’s name had figured when ex-CM Charanjit Singh Channi had visited his house and had lunch with his mother.

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