Boulders’ auction fetches Yamunanagar administration Rs 80 lakh

Yamunanagar, June 3

The Yamunanagar administration on Wednesday auctioned boulders weighing 18,324 metric tonnes (MT). These were mined illegally from the Yamuna by the mining mafia and seized by the Mines and Geology Department, Yamunanagar.

The auction of this consignment of boulders has fetched revenue of Rs80.61 lakh to the Mines and Geology Department. Sources said Mining Officer, Yamunanagar, Ashok Kumar and the Special Enforcement Team — formed to stop illegal mining in Haryana — had found huge quantities of boulders stacked at 15 places in Tajewala village of Yamunanagar in March.

On the direction of the higher authorities of the Mining Department, a detailed inquiry was conducted by a committee comprising an Assistant Mining Engineer, Sonepat, and Mining Officer, Yamunanagar.

The report of the committee made it clear that the 18,324 MT of boulders were unclaimed, illegally mined and stacked by unknown persons. Therefore, being government property, the Mining Department had decided to dispose of this consignment through auction.

“On the direction of Deputy Commissioner, Mukul Kumar, an auction committee headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner-cum-Nodal Officer Pratima Chaudhry was constituted to auction the boulders,” said Ashok Kumar, Mining Officer, Yamunanagar district.

Haridev Kamboj, Executive Engineer, Water Works Division, Dadupur, said the reserve price of the consignment was fixed at Rs41,22,900, but a private bidder bought it for Rs80.61 lakh at the auction today. — TNS