Vehicles with illegally quarried river bed materials seized

Five vehicles loaded with illegally quarried river bed material were seized in Vikasnagar area in the last two days. 

Tehsildars along with adequate police force are deployed to conduct inspections along riverbed areas. Apart from this, temporary Police posts have been established near different riverbed areas to stop illegal mining activities in the area, said Vikasnagar sub divisional magistrate Ashok Kumar while talking to The Pioneer on Sunday. The maximum penalty is being imposed against illegal mining operators, he added.  

“Taking cognisance of previous year’s attacks on district officials in Dehradun and recent attack on district officers and officials in other districts by illegal mining operators while conducting vehicle checking drive in riverbed areas, we have directed the Tehsildars and other district officials to conduct raids with adequate police force,”  Kumar added.

On being asked about three police personnel who were reverted to police line by the SSP Kewal Khurana after being caught informing the illegal mining operators about raids being conducted by the district officials, he said that, "We carried out instant raids on receiving reports of any activity of illegal mining and some times deployed our teams for surprise inspection".

Kumar further said “We along with forest department have launched drives against illegal mining activities in the riverbed area of Vikasnagar,”.Five vehicles with illegally quarried river bed material were seized in the last two days and penalty of upto Rs 25 000 was imposed on the culprits. As per the direction of the district magistrate, FIR will be lodged against the owners if their vehicles loaded with illegally quarried river bed material are caught thrice. Police post in-charges have been strictly directed to seize vehicles loaded with illegally quarried river bed material in Vikasnagar.