Chandigarh: Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit expressed concern over illegal mining in border areas and said a sedition case should be registered against such people. Interacting with sarpanches belonging to the border belt of Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts here, he sought cooperation to check smuggling of drugs and weapons from across the border.

He suggested that sedition charges should be filed against those who involved in the illegal mining especially alongside international border and causing a threat to national security.

Pertinently, Punjab and Haryana High Court recently reprimanded AAP government for failing to prevent illegal mining near Pakistan border and BSF has showed its concern over it.

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Jalandhar: A case has been registered against two accused at Police Station Kotwali for illegal mining in Village Boot of Kapurthala, Punjab.

Acting on this, tippers filled with sand and JCB machine used in mining have also been taken seized by the police. Police post Badshahpur in-charge Paramjit Singh said one of the two accused has been arrested while a search is on for the other.

The accused are close to the MLA

Mining Officer Shubham Kumar said that as per the orders of NGT, a fine of Rs 4 lakh or Rs 3 lakh will also be imposed on the two seized vehicles. According to sources, the accused Congress leader Onkar Singh, named in the said mining case, claims to be close aide of Kapurthala MLA. The brother of the sarpanch of village Boot is being involved in it. Sources also point out that the land on which illegal mining was being carried out is panchayat land.

Action on receipt of tipper filled with sand

In his complaint to the police, JE of mining department and mining inspector Shubham Kumar said that on September 8, a tipper PB 07 CA 9898 was standing full of sand. After the investigation, he went to the village boot and saw that illegal mining was being done from the land behind a pipe-making factory.

The JCB machine PN 09 AK 9989 used in illegal mining has also been seized on the spot. The police team, which reached the spot, has detained the tipper’s driver Salinder Singh, a resident of Boot.

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Chandigarh: The Punjab Government on Tuesday suspended Executive Engineer Mining Roopnagar Puneet Sharma with immediate effect .

Disclosing this here today Mining & Geology and Water Resources Minister Harjot Singh Bains said that regular reports and complaints of Illegal Mining in the area under the jurisdiction of Puneet Sharma were received, on the basis of which action was initiated against him.

As per the government directive, mining is prohibited during Monsoons. But complaints of late night mining in Khera Kalmot area and other surrounding areas of District Ropar were brought to the notice.

He further said that the suspended officer failed to issue notices in time to the contractors for installing under capacity weighing bridges, which were not fit for all sized vehicles.

The said officer did not take steps to achieve the target of legal Mining in district which caused dearly to the state exchequer and people faced difficulty, added Bains.

The minister while reiterating Zero tolerance policy towards illegal mining of Bhagwant Mann government, said that no one will be allowed to indulge in illegal Mining and any officer found involved in illegal activities will have to face departmental action and even legal action, if required.

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Chandigarh: Punjab Mines and Geology Minister Harjot Singh Bains said that since the formation of AAP Government from 19 March 2022 till 7 August 2022, 306 cases have been registered against illegal miners.

Bains said that 52 cases against mining have been registered only in Hoshiarpur district, which is highest ever. He said that our government’s stand on illegal mining is crystal clear and no one indulging in this practice, would be spared although he is a leader or worker of our own party.

The Cabinet Minister said that if anyone of my family or relatives is involved in this illegal practice then he himself will ensure that strict action would be taken against him.

Bains said that complaints regarding illegal mining in Village Kahiwal under his constituency were received. Taking immediate action, police and departmental teams were sent on the spot to thoroughly investigate the matter. He informed that cases were registered against perpetrators at Anandpur Sahib Police Station after investigation. He said that strict instructions have already been given to the officials that if any complaint regarding illegal mining is received, then immediate action should be taken.

The Mines and Geology Minister said that some tainted officers of the mining department were not doing their duty honestly and dedicatedly. Actions were taken against them and Mining Officers of Rupnagar and Pathankot were suspended due to such practices.

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CHANDIGARH: With the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has adopted a zero tolerance policy against illegal mining, Punjab Police on Monday registered the first information report (FIR) against Kudratdeep Singh alias Lovie and his aide Bhupinder Singh alias Honey for carrying out illegal mining in the area of Malikpur mining site in year 2017.

After registering the FIR, the Police have also sent notice to Bhupinder alias Honey to join the investigations in this case, while, Kudratdeep, who is in Kapurthala Jail, will be brought on production warrant on Tuesday.

The development came two months after the Enforcement Directorate in its letter (dated May 9, 2022) to the SSP SBS Nagar had shared information regarding 73 weightment slips (dated 10.11.2017) besides other details of the output of sand more than reported to the mining department from illegal mining at Malikpur sand mining site recovered during the course of searches.

Pertinently, in the end of the year 2021, the Directorate of Enforcement Jalandhar conducted searches at the premises of Bhupinder Singh alias Honey and Kudratdeep Singh alias Lovie. The ED had then recovered various indiscriminating documents, digital devices, and cash to the tune of Rs. 9.97 Crores relatable to the proceeds of crime generated by way of illegal sand mining activities at the Malikpur sand mining site.

The official spokesperson of Punjab Police said that following the letter from ED, the SSP SBS Nagar had immediately constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the supervision of SP Investigation SBS Nagar for further investigation in this matter.

After thorough investigation, the SIT found that both the accused had conducted illegal mining in that area using heavy machinery resulting in violating the provisions of Environment Clearance issued by State Level Environment Authority Punjab, said the spokesperson, adding that the accused persons also used fake 73 weightment slips dated 10.11.2017, recovered by the ED during the searches. “The Police also found details of the output of sand more than reported to the mining department which was corroborated by Mining department through its letter Dated 29.06.2022 referring to lesser output of sand shown to Mining department which led to financial loss to the state exchequer,” he added.

The Spokesperson said that following all the investigations the SIT recommended to lodge an FIR against Bhupinder Singh alias Honey and Kudratdeep Singh alias Lovie.

Meanwhile, FIR No. 73 dated July 18, 2022, has been registered under sections 21(1) and 4(1) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulations) Act, sections 379, 406, 420, 465, 468, 471 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 15 of the Environment Protection Act at Police Station Rahon. New SIT has been constituted for further investigation of the case under the supervision of SP Investigation.

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