Rs 80 crore fine imposed in 63 Ropar illegal mining cases
Arun Sharma
Ropar, February 12
The Mining Department has slapped a penalty of over Rs 80 crore on stone crusher owners, who have allegedly been found involved in illegal mining since January last year.
After giving a chance of hearing to offenders in 63 cases, the department has asked them to deposit the fine amounting to Rs 42 crore immediately or their assets would be seized by the authorities.
Interestingly, several stone crusher owners have been issued multiple notices for illegal mining for repeated offences. A road construction company has also been issued six notices for lifting the soil more than the authorised quantity.
Of the total 230 such notices, a stone crusher owner in Agampur village near Anandpur Sahib has been issued five notices since September 2023, indicating that he was found involved in illegal mining since then.
Another stone crusher owner in Khera Kalmot near Nangal has been issued four such notices. Similarly, a stone crusher owner in Saidpur village near Nurpur Bedi and another in Agampur have received three notices on different occasions.
Ropar Mining Department XEN Harshant Verma said besides 116 FIRs lodged against the people during last one year, 230 notices had been issued imposing a fine of Rs 80.62 crore on the offenders.
While the hearing opportunity has already been provided in 63 such cases till last week, the department has already issued final notices to them to deposit Rs 42.30 crore. If they failed in doing so, the proceedings to seize their assets would be started soon, he added.
