Panchkula DC forms 4 teams to check illegal mining

Amit Bathla

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, December 16

With no end to reports of unauthorised mining activity in the district, Panchkula Deputy Commissioner Mahavir Kaushik today constituted four teams to curb the menace in coordination with the mining department.

An RTI reply revealed that as many as 89 FIRs of illegal mining were lodged in the district between January 2019 and November this year. Further, 461 vehicles were caught and seized by the department for transportation of illegally mined material during this period. The actual numbers could be much higher than the reported numbers, say experts on the subject.

In July this year, the issue of large-scale illegal mining in the district had led to the suspension of then District Mining Officer Om Dutt Sharma.

From time to time, inquiries have also been ordered, special drives launched and repeated instructions issued to curb illegal mining, but the district continues to be a hotbed of the illegal practice.

In 2019, the district administration had launched a special drive to curb the menace and even appointed dedicated officers in most-affected areas to keep a vigil during night hours. A special enforcement team was constituted by the state government to stop illegal mining activities in the district and the state, but to no avail.

Now, the Deputy Commissioner has urged villagers to help the authorities concerned in curbing such illegal activities. He also instructed the Kalka SDM, the police, the BDPO and the area tehsildar to ensure successful implementation of ‘e-Rawaana’ system, under which a computer generated slip of vehicles used in the mining activities should be checked. “Offenders should be challaned and booked,” he told officials.

Kaushik further asked the officials to inspect the licensed mining sites to ensure compliance of rules and regulations in carrying out such activities.