Chandigarh, April 24: Intensifying his government’scrackdown on illegal mining in the state, Punjab Chief Minister CaptainAmarinder Singh has ordered a total ban on mining from 7.30 p.m. to 5 a.m, alsodirected the police and Enforcement Directorate (Mining) to take strict actionagainst those found engaged in mining operations at night.
The Chief Minister, who chaired a high-level meeting onFriday to review the illegal mining situation in the state, asked the MiningDepartment to strictly ensure that no mining is undertaken by any authorizedcontractor in river beds or other areas after 7.30 pm and before 5.00 am.Warning of stringent action against violators, the Chief Minister said anyone,including officers and police personnel, found conniving in illegal sand miningoperations should also be dealt with strictly.
While directing the DGP and the newly constitutedEnforcement Directorate Mining to crack down strictly on any night miningactivity, the Chief Minister, however, ordered that there should be nohinderance to the smooth movement of sand and gravel during the night in viewof the high level of construction activity going on in the state. Availabilityof the material at affordable price should also be ensured, he told thedepartment, directing Principal Secretary Mining to coordinate with authorizedcontractors to bring down the prices of sand and gravel.
During the meeting, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Minister,Water Resources, apprised the Chief Minister that the creation of EnforcementDirectorate for Mining had made a positive impact on the ground in curbingillegal sand mining activities. He assured the Chief Minister that sand miningoperations in the state will be conducted smoothly, and smooth transportationof sand will be ensured.
Sources informed that as his oxygen saturation level decreased, his health deteriorated, so he has been admitted to the ICU of Fortis Hospital in Mohali.
DGP Dinkar Gupta said all the Commissioners of Police andSSsP have been directed to take action against the unscrupulous elementsinvolved in illegal sand mining. He saidthat additional manpower will now be deployed to check any night sand miningoperations, in line with the Chief Minister’s directives.
ADGP-cum-Director ED Mining RN Dhoke informed the ChiefMinister that 70 FIRs have been registered against 93 persons involved inillegal sand mining activities and 70 vehicles have been confiscated since theformation of the Directorate. Drones are being used to carry out thephotography of illegal sand mining sites to assess the extent of excavationdone and unauthorized movement of minor minerals at the inter-state borders ofPunjab has been curbed substantially.
Notably, the ED was set up in the Mining & Geology Wingof Water Resources Department to strictly enforce the laws against illegalmining and thus help in ramping up the state's revenues.
Working closely with the Mining Wing of Water Resources department,the ED has been mandated to check that those involved in sand and gravelbusiness do not overcharge on the sale price ceiling prescribed in the MiningPolicy. Besides, the ED also develops strategies, measures and methods toeffectively achieve the above objectives in coordination with Director Mining,Chief Engineers dealing with mining and District Level Illegal MiningEnforcement Committees’ under the Deputy Commissioners.