Mining mafia excavated several acres up to 50 feet deep, alleges Punjab BJP leader
Chandigarh, Nov 4
The BJP has alleged that in the Majri block of the Kharar Assembly constituency, where, according to the Punjab government’s Mining Department, not even a single mining site exists, the mining mafia has illegally excavated several acres up to 50 feet deep.
“Not only that, they have even destroyed the portion of the kachha road connecting Kubaheri to Khizrabad,†said Vineet Joshi, State Media Head of the Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who visited the area along with Majri Mandal President Mohit Gautam and his associates.
Joshi said in villages under the Kharar tehsil, such as Khizrabad, Kubaheri, Abhipur, Mianpur, Mirzapur, and others, illegal mining worth more than Rs 1,000 crore takes place every year. “This causes not only massive financial losses to the state but also irreparable damage to the environment, making life miserable for people living in nearby villages,†he said in a statement.
The Mining Department itself officially admits that the section of the link road between Kubaheri and Khizrabad has been destroyed by the mining mafia. “Yet, no action is being taken by the Mining Department, the Panchayat Department, the Rural Development Department, the Mandi Board, the Deputy Commissioner (DC), or the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM),†Joshi said.
He said it is shocking that the 25 to 30 crushers operating in the Majri block function only at night and remain closed during the day. “Wrongdoings happen only under the cover of darkness,†Joshi said.
“If these crushers were inspected as per the rules, not a single one would turn out to be legal,†Joshi alleged, claiming that the mining mafia manages to obtain permissions for running crushers and screening plants by colluding with officials at various levels of the Punjab government -- state, district, block, and tehsil. After that, they openly violate various environmental laws and the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.
He added that under environmental laws, every crusher is required to maintain a three-layer green cover around its premises, but none of the crushers in the area follow this rule. The DC, SDM, and other officials remain silent despite being fully aware of this situation.
Joshi added, “It seems that Punjab Police, the Mining Department, the Pollution Control Board, the DC, SDM, DSP, and SSP, all have thrown the National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders and reports into the dustbin and joined hands with the mining mafia. Otherwise, such large-scale illegal mining would not be possible.â€
— IANS
Reader Comments
As someone from Punjab, I've seen how mining mafias operate. They have political connections and pay off officials. The common people suffer while politicians make empty statements.
While the BJP is right to highlight this issue, let's not forget that all political parties have been equally complicit in such activities when in power. We need systemic reforms, not political blame games.
The destruction of roads and green cover affects villagers the most. Their livelihoods and health are at risk. Government should deploy drones and satellite monitoring to catch these criminals. 🌱
₹1000 crore loss every year? That's taxpayers' money! This corruption needs to stop. The NGT should take suo moto cognizance and order a CBI investigation.
Night operations, destroyed roads, no green cover - everything points to complete administrative failure. The DC and SDM should be suspended immediately for negligence.
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