The daily seizure of vehicles used to ferry materials mined from riverbeds across the State reveals that the illegal mining activities have been going on unabated despite the Governor’s strict instruction to the district administrative officers to halt the practice by all means.
In Dehradun, Nainital and other districts, vehicles being seized and penalties being slapped bring to the fore the grim reality prevailing in the State.
Commenting on the sorry state of things, State BJP president Ajay Bhatt said the former Harish Rawat Government kept looking the other way despite his party raising the issue relentlessly over the past four years.
During a day’s drive launched along the Gaula river in lalkuan and Haldwani, the district administration had slapped the illegal mining operators with a penalty of around Rs 12 crore.
Bhatt said that the figures were astounding. The incident reveals that the State coffers continued to suffer whopping revenue loss thanks to the rulers of the previous dispensation conniving with the unauthorised miners.
“This was nothing short of a loot and the Congress leaders from top down had a handsome share in the pie. After the promulgation of President’s Rule in the State, the administrative officers have imposed over Rs 100 crores as penalty on illegal mining operators, a figure that makes things crystal clear,” the BJP leader said.
In Dehradun district, DM Ravinath Raman said that three utilities had been seized in Sadar Tehsil after they had been caught lifting minerals collected illegally from the riverbeds. A penalty of Rs 75, 000 was slapped on the violators, he added.
In Vikasnagar, three dumpers were seized and Rs 3 lakh was slapped as penalty. In Doiwala, a tractor was seized and the figure of penalty slapped was Rs 50, 000. On April 8, a total of seven vehicles were seized caught in collecting illegally mined materials from riverbeds and Rs 4.25 lakh was imposed on the violators. On April 7, 20 vehicles were seized and Rs 11.75 lakh was imposed as penalty on illegal mining operators, DM informed.