Perturbed over attack on an IAS officer at Nalagarh by the mining mafia last month and their rising clout in the State, Himachal Pradesh is planning to wage all-out war against them and plug all loopholes.
The move comes after a candid submission by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in the Assembly that the mining mafia in the State was enjoying political patronage. He assured the House that the Government would take all possible steps to check the growing menace.
The Chief Minister had even assured the House that laws would be amended and made stringent to check illegal mining in the State which was also hampering its ecology. A high-level meeting of officials of different departments has been convened on Monday to devise strategies to check illegal mining.
All superintendents of police, deputy commissioners, Home Secretary, mining officials, Industry department officials, Chief Secretary and other officials concerned have been summoned to the State capital for the meeting. Industry Minister Mukesh Agnihotri is likely to chair the meeting which will focus on devising strategies and plugging all loopholes in the law.
"The meet of senior administrative and police officials will focus on steps to be taken to curb illegal mining in the State and is a follow-up to the assurances given by the Chief Minister in the Assembly," said Chief Secretary Sudripto Roy. It may be noted that last month, Nalagarh SDM Yunus Khan, batchmate of IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal, who was suspended by Uttar Pradesh government recently, was attacked by the mining mafia when he tried to stop the trailers carrying sand.
Khan had also written to senior police officers complaining about connivance of some police officials with the mining mafia after which a DSP-rank officer was transferred. The Government had come under flak during the monsoon session for its failure to check illegal mining and Chief Minister assured the House that the menace would be checked by all means.