Month on, no case registered for illegal mining on forestland

In a glaring example of alleged political shielding of illegal mining operations, a case of unauthorised mining in forest land at Bhangla village in Nangal tehsil remains unregistered for around a month, with the Forest Department and police trading accusations over inaction.

As per the documents available with The Tribune, the Forest Range Officer of Nurpur Bedi wrote to the Nangal DSP, in which he has stated that three tippers and a JCB, engaged in illegal mining at Bhangla village, were seized with the help of villagers on June 22 last month. The numbers of the tippers were PB11CX4350, HR37E1378 and PB65AD1594.

The Range Officer said mining had been carried out on the land protected under the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) and on the private forest land. The land falls between khasra numbers 86 and 89 of Bhangla village. The name of the landowner is Jagdev Singh, son of Mangat Ram, a resident of Bhangla village. The illegal mining was being carried out by Rana Stone Crusher, located in Bhangla village.

Darshan Singh, son of Sohan Singh, a resident of Bhangla village, abused the employees on duty and interfered in the working of government officials. Therefore, a case should be registered against these accused and legal action should be taken against them on the charges of obstructing forest and administrative officials, the Range Officer told the DSP.

Sources here said case in the matter had not been registered by the police despite the fact that the forest officials and Nangal tehsil administration officials were involved in the raid against illegal mining.

DSP Nangal Kulvir Singh Thakkar blamed the Forest Department for contradictory communications. He said the range office initially wrote a letter to him on June 22 alleging illegal mining at Bhangla village and pleaded for action against Rana Stone crusher and Darshan Singh for threatening them on duty. When we started investigating the matter, the range officer Nurpur Bedi wrote another letter to me on June 26 that no action should be taken on their letter written on July 22.

On July 7, another letter was received from the range officer that action should be taken against the accused mentioned in their letter written to the police on June 22, he said.

The DSP said due to the contradictory communications of the forest officials, they were now referring the matter to the Ropar Deputy Commissioner and SSP. “We shall act in the complaint as per the directions of the DC and SSP Ropar due to wavering stance of the Forest Department,” he said. Highly placed sources told The Tribune that case in the matter was not being registered due to interference of some influential leaders of the ruling party.

Punjab