Alleging that crime syndicates have once again become active after lifting of President’s rule in Uttarakhand, leader of opposition and Bharatiya Janata Party State president Ajay Bhatt said that on May 17, some persons allegedly involved in illegal mining tried to run over a team of Chakrata forest division which was checking illegal quarrying in the area.
In a statement released on Wednesday evening, Bhatt said that in the past there have been incidents of mining mafia shooting at a police officer, trying to run down a sub divisional magistrate, trying to drive over a divisional forest officer and also trying to throw a Chamoli Tehsildar in to the Birahi river. Bhatt states, “On May 17, when a team of Chakrata forest division caught tractors being used in illegal mining, the criminal elements tried to crush the team members and when the tractors were seized by the department team, the mining mafia managed to get their tractor released. During the month and half period when Uttarakhand was under president’s rule, more than Rs 100 crore had been collected in fines for illegal mining. However, the criminal elements have restored their influence in the State because it is people in the government who are involved in the racket with the government facilitating illegal mining,” said Bhatt.
He further cited various incidents reported so far and said that the chief minister had turned a blind eye to criminals assaulting government employees discharging their duties as in the case of a lady Tehsildar whom the criminals had attempted to throw into a river.
He further stated, “In the last two years, there have been dozens of such incidents but the CM didn’t once State that action will be taken against the culprits or direct the official concerned to take the action required,” added Bhatt.