Shimla, Aug 8
Launch of a special 15 day drive against Mining mafia has been able to garner the best results in the past ten years. A spokesperson of the Himachal Pradesh Police said that the department has launched a special campaign in the State against mining mafia” from 01.08.2022 to 15.08.2022. On completion of one week of the special campaign, the police have already done 322 challans, out of which 295 challans have been compounded and a fine of Rs. 17 lakh 10 thousand 550 has been realized from the violators.
Adding that, during this special campaign, 226 vehicles involved in illegal mining have been caught, out of which 134 tractors, 80 tippers, 09 pickups, 2 trucks, 01 JCB are involved.D ue to seizure of a large number of vehicles during special campaign, no space is left in the Police Station to keep more vehicles, he remarked.
Apart from this, 04 cases of illegal mining (01 in Police District Baddi and 03 in Una District) have also been registered. In these cases, 03 JCBs, 01 tipper, 01 tractor and 01 truck have been seized. These cases will be referred to the Enforcement Directorate for investigation under Prevention of Money Laundry Act (PMLA), they informed.
Comparative details from the year of 2013 to 07 August 2022 indicate that in 2022 the State police has done a total of around 450 challans and a fine of around 23.90lacs have been realised so far. This figure is the highest since 2013 as per data. In 2020 fines worth 12.44 lakh were noted and numbers challans done were 144. Besides in all other years the fine realised was leas than 10 lakh wherein challans done, also averaged between 92 lowest (2013) and 148 highest(2019).
This year maximum fine realised is from Mandi district of amount 11.20lakh. Here 49 callans have been done and 33 vehicles and 9 mules have been seized.
From 79 challans Kangra distrcit police realised a fine worth 3.50lakh. Here, 47 tractors, 12 tippers, 01 truck and 10 mules have been seized.
This is followed by Hamirpur, out of 58 challans, fine realised has been 3 41lakh and 26 tractors and 28 tippers have been seized.
Earlier 5 cases of mining mafia have been referred to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for action in which property worth Rs 5.73 Crores is involved, added the police spokesperson.
He said that figures shows that the State Police is adopting “zero tolerance policy against the mining mafia”and strict action is being taken against the persons involved.
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