The State BJP has called for a well-defined mining policy while slamming the Congress-led State Government for patronising illegal mining in the State. The illegal mining goes on unabated in the hill State, in general and four districts — Dehradun, Haridwar, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar — in particular, said Balraj Passi, State BJP spokesperson on Wednesday, adding that even the DMs and the SSPs’ appointments have been made in these four districts on the basis of hefty payments.
“I dare the DM or the SSP working in these districts to challenge my charge anywhere,” he further said. The involvement of a district panchayat member from Congress in the illegal mining- related attack on a trainee forest official in Ramnagar has given a curious twist to the menace, making the complicity of the ruling party in the sinister business crystal clear, the BJP leader said.
Uttarakhand having limited resources for development, it banks heavily on mining and tourism for revenue. But as far as the mining sector is concerned, we all know how illegal mining has been bleeding the State exchequer white. Hence, our demand for a clearly formulated mining policy, he said, adding that the rampant illegal mining is spawning law and order problem across the State with police in most cases supinely fawning on the goons in tune with the State’s reprehensible policy on the matter.