Capt calls meeting of DCs, SSPs to discuss illegal mining in State

Day after spotting the illegal mining taking place in the State, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has convened a meeting of the Deputy Commissioners and Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) of 14 districts on Thursday to discuss the issue of illegal mining as well as the state’s Mining Policy.

Besides, a three-member cabinet sub-committee was also set up to review the State Mining Policy comprising Local Government Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, Finance Minister Manpreet Badal and Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa.

The DCs and SSPs of the 14 districts of the State, where mining takes place, have been asked to join the meeting with the Chief Minister to give their inputs on the Mining Policy, besides discussing the ways to curb illegal mining activities in the state.

Among the DCs and SSPs summoned for the meeting are those of Amritsar, Faridkot, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur, Patiala, Pathankot, Jalandhar and Ludhiana.

Capt Amarinder earlier informed the State cabinet that he had received several complaints from DCs and SSPs regarding certain clauses in the Mining Policy that make its implementation difficult.

Capt Amarinder, who had a day before ordered a massive crackdown on illegal mining on the Sutlej river bed after spotting unauthorised use of certain equipment from his chopper, underlined the need to streamline the entire system to curb illegal mining while, at the same time, ensuring that genuine contractors are not harassed in any way.

Acting on the Chief Minister’s suggestion, the Cabinet set up a sub-committee to review the Mining Policy and suggest ways of making it more effective and stringent.

Meanwhile, a Mining Department spokesperson said that so far, 4,285 FIRs against illegal mining activities have been registered in various districts under the relevant Act and Rules.

Teams of police and civil officials are also on the job of tracking all such activity, especially in the areas where machines were spotted yesterday by the Chief Minister, he said.