Mining scam in Nurpur comes to fore, forged forms used

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, June 25

A mining scam has come to the fore in Nurpur in which lease holders were using duplicate and tampered mining forms (M-forms) to supply illegally mined material out of the state.

Sources here said Nurpur mining officer had submitted details of hundreds of fake and tampered M-forms used by the lease holders. They said by this way, the mining mafia had caused loss worth crores to the state exchequer in terms of royalty and GST.

On the basis of documents and complaint filed by the mining officer to SP, Kangra, Vimukt Ranjan, the police today registered an FIR under Section 420 of the IPC at Nurpur and started investigating the case.

On the complaint by the Mining Department, the police are probing the angles of forgery committed by the lease holders and stone crusher owners.

The sources said a BJP leader from Nurpur, who had mining leases in his name, was suspect. Most of the mining leases and stone crushers here are owned by politically influential persons.

BJP MLA from Nurpur Rakesh Pathania said the matter was brought to his notice by the officials concerned and he had asked the SP to probe the matter. All those guilty should be brought to book, he said.

BJP leader a suspect

As per the sources, a BJP leader from Nurpur, who had mining leases in his name, was suspect. Most of the mining leases and stone crushers in Nurpur were owned by politically influential persons