To prevent illegal mining and to strictly deal with the cases related to it, the Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal on Wednesday said that the government has prepared Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) in the State. “The SOPs prepared by the Department of Mines and Geology aims to guide all the stakeholders working with the State Government to prevent illegal mining and to deal strictly in cases related to it in the State.”
Presiding over a review meeting regarding illegal mining with all the Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police through video conferencing, Kaushal directed the Deputy Commissioners to ensure strict implementation of the directions issued regarding illegal mining and environment.
In the meeting, the Chief Secretary was apprised that the SOPs are broadly divided into four categories as per the provisions of the State Rules, 2012. These categories are identification and protection of areas vulnerable to illegal mining activities, investigation of illegal mining on complaint/intimation, vehicles carrying mining material without valid permit. The mining concession holders who are violating the conditions of Mining Plan/Environmental Clearance (EC) are also included in the above said categories.
He further directed the Deputy Commissioners to personally visit the sites to keep a check on the illegal mining and also ensure action against illegal miners. The Chief Secretary said that on receiving the complaint regarding illegal mining, the Deputy Commissioner should immediately constitute a committee, including one member from the Mining Department and one from the Police Department. This committee will immediately inspect the illegal mining site, if the illegal mining area falls into jurisdiction of the forest land, then the representative of the forest department and revenue department will also be included in the above said Committee.