Due to nexus between local politicians and illegal mining operators, cases related to illegal quarrying activities from the riverbeds have increased in the district.
Following this, District magistrate R Meenakshi Sundaram has directed sub divisional magistrates to report to him on daily basis about illegal quarrying cases in the district. Strict action will be taken against illegal mining apart from lodging an FIR against truck owners in the police station if their trucks are seized carrying illegally quarried river bed material (RBM) in the district, he added.
Vikasnagar SDM Ashok Kumar said that following the direction of district magistrate, two teams headed by Tehsildars and assisted by local police station in-charge and constables have been formed and they were directed to conduct surprise checks on illegal quarrying prone areas under their jurisdiction.
Tehsildars have been directed to impose maximum penalty of Rs 25, 000 on illegal mining operator. I also conduct surprise inspections regularly in these areas,” he said. District mining official Kundan Singh said that a total of 57 vehicles carrying illegally quarried minerals, sand and grit were seized by the district officials from Vikasnagar, Doiwala and other areas in July.
A total of 192 cases of illegal mining activities including 65 in April, 38 in May, 48 in June and 57 in July have been registered and department had collected revenue from illegal mining operators in the form of penalty amounting to Rs 13.25 lakh in April, 10.62 lakh in May, 19.68 lakh in June and around 20 lakh in July.
In most of the cases, illegal mining operators were charged around Rs 20, 000 in the form of penalty by the department officials. A truck loaded with RBM from Raipur was seized on Wednesday and released after imposing challan of Rs 27, 200 including mineral’s cost on truck owner.
It should be noted here that Dehradun district had collected Rs 13.06 crore in 2012-13 in the form of penalty on illegal mining operators. Critics said that illegal mining operators are being patronised by the local public representatives as they pressurise the district administration to reduce the penalty, which is being imposed by the officials.
Illegal quarrying activities can not be controlled unless nexus between politicians and illegal mining operators is broken. Apart from this, State Government should allow the district officials to workindependently so that such illegal activities can be stopped.