M’garh DC seeks report from panchayat officer

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Mahendragarh, May 1

Taking a serious note of the illegal washing plants being run over the panchayat land in the Nangal Choudhary region, Mahendragarh Deputy Commissioner (DC) Sanjeev Verma has sought a report from the District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO).

Sources said the development came after Verma received complaints alleging the common land was openly being used by the mafia to run their gravel washing plants illegally in connivance with the officials of mining and the panchayat departments.

“It is the responsibility of the panchayat officials to curb such illegal activities being carried out on the panchayat land. I have asked the DDPO to send a report in this regard within a week. He has also been asked to report the status of those land areas that are to be leased out for mining in the coming days,” said Verma. The DC said action would be taken against those officials if any illegal activity was found to be taking place on the panchayat land in their respective areas. The gram panchayat and other villagers had also been asked to inform his office if any unlawful activity was being undertaken over the panchayat land.

Sources said the district administration recently conducted raids at several gravel washing plants in the Nangal Choudhry area and some of them were being run over a common land. During the raid, the villagers informed the team that the panchayat land was also being used by the mafia in several villages to operate such plants illegally. Recently, the team dismantled five gravel washing plants in Dostpur and Dhani Jajma villages. These plants were sealed by the Pollution Control Board, but these were restarted after some days.