Dehradun police arrested 39 persons who were allegedly involved in carrying illegally quarried minerals, sand and grit from riverbeds areas since January this year.
Acting on tip off, police seized 68 trucks, trolleys and tractors loaded with illegally quarried riverbed materials, said SP (rural) Mamta Vohra on Sunday. Apart from this, acting on information received from mining department, police had seized 190 vehicles loaded with illegally quarried minerals, sand and grit, she added.
Vohra said that all the police stations in-charge and police posts in-charge have been directed to act on tip off about illegal mining activities and take action against illegal mining operators caught quarrying riverbeds minerals. Replying to a question about lack of police action against vehicles loaded with minerals passing through roads near police stations and police posts almost every day, Vohra said that police perform various tasks like resolving disputes in the locality, conducting investigation on received cases, solving theft, burglary, murder and other crimes.
Conducting drives against illegal mining activities is not the primary duty of the police department, even though several police stations in-charge of Vikasnagar, Raipur, Sahaspur areas have lodged FIRs against illegal mining operators. As per the report received from different police stations and posts, as many as 10 cases of illegal mining were registered in Vikasnagar, 16 in Sahaspur and three in Doiwala this year. Acting on these cases, nine persons were arrested in Vikasnagar, three in Doiwala and 27 in Sahaspur. Police had seized 68 trucks, trolleys and tractors from the accused. In coordination with mining department, police seized four vehicles in Kalsi, two in Ranipokhari, eight in Raiwala, 15 in Doiwala, four in Rishikesh, 160 in Vikasnagar and 15 in Sahaspur.
According to mining department officer, a total of 192 vehicles including 57 in July carrying illegally quarried minerals, sand and grit were seized from Sahaspur, Vikasnagar, Doiwala and other areas since April this year. It should be mentioned here that the mining department in Dehradun had collected revenue from illegal mining operators in the form of penalty amounting to Rs 1.56 crore in 2010-11, Rs 1.40 crore in 2011-12 and 2.05 crore in 2012-13.