Sarpanch booked for illegal mining

Fazilka, March 17

Balwinder Singh, alias Bittu, sarpanch of Tiwana Kalalan village in the Jalalabad subdivision, has been booked for allegedly excavating the sand illegally from a village pond.

After receiving a complaint, a mining department team from Chandigarh, led by SP (Mining) Baljit Singh Bhullar, conducted a raid in the village and found some persons allegedly involved in excavating the sand from a village pond.

On the basis of complaint, Bittu has been booked under Sections 379 and 420 of the IPC and the Mining and Minerals Act. Alleging that he has been implicated, Bittu clarified that three or four persons of the village had dug a pond for a water treatment plant and they were strengthening its bank. In the meantime, the mining department team conducted a raid and lodged a complaint against him.

Some persons have already been booked for excavating sand from illegal quarries from different parts of Tiwana Kalan

village. — OC