VB sleuths inspect illegal mining site at Chamkaur Sahib

Tribune News Service

Rajmeet Singh

Chandigarh, June 16

Even as the five Divisional Forest Officers summoned by the Vigilance Bureau for further probe into the commission scam allegedly involving former Forest Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot have failed to appear before the investigating officer, the bureau today carried out detailed inspection at the illegal mining site at Jindapur village near Bela in Chamkaur Sahib.

The inspection carried out in presence of forest officials and experts is learnt to have detected illegal mining on 25 acres of forest area.

In the FIR registered against two ex-ministers Dharamsot and Sangat Singh Gilzian, it had been pointed out around 50-ft-deep pits were dug up at the village and over Rs 40 crore worth of illegal mining was carried out in the area.

Records of tree guard purchase sought

VB officials have sought purchase records of tree guards during ex-minister Gilzian’s tenure. It has sought details of purchase-related documents and sanctioning authority

Ropar DFO has been asked to present entire record pertaining to action taken by the Forest Department on a complaint of illegal mining by Forest Range Officer to Chamkaur Sahib SHO in 2021

Recently, Iqbal Singh, a former sarpanch, was booked by Singh Bhagwantpur police for illegal mining at Zindapur village last year. Iqbal’s name had figured when Channi, after becoming the CM had visited his house and had lunch with his mother.

Forest Range Officer Rajwant Singh, in a letter to the Chamkaur Sahib SHO on November 18, 2021, had sought police action accusing Iqbal and some unidentified persons of using poclain machines to remove sand from forest land near the Sutlej. The forest officer had also claimed 530 saplings planted on the forest land were damaged due to illegal mining.

Sources said the DFO, Ropar, has been asked by the Vigilance officials to present the entire record pertaining to the action taken by the Forest Department. The record pertains to the various letters written by forest officials to DC and SDM and demarcation report of the damage done to the forest area under the garb of desilting.

Meanwhile, the Vigilance officials have sought entire record pertaining to the purchase of tree guards during the tenure of ex-minister Gilzian.

In the initial reply submitted by the Forest Department to Vigilance, it had been pointed out a total of 1,34,422 tree guards were purchased during 2021-2022. Of these, 24,672 guards were made of concrete and 1,09,750 of bamboo.

The bureau has sought details of the tree guard purchase-related documents and the sanctioning authority.

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