Adani News

Tag: Illegal mining

  • 143 FIRs in a year regarding illegal mining in Mahendragarh

    143 FIRs in a year regarding illegal mining in Mahendragarh

    The measures taken by the district administration and police authorities to keep a check on illegal mining seem insufficient as the district recorded a total 143 cases in 2022-23. Interestingly, the figure was also the same in 2021-2022.

    Total 215 vehicles were impounded for transporting mining materials illegally in 2021-22 and the figure rose to 227 in 2022-23.
    Over 18 FIRs were filed in September and December in 2022 and 14 were lodged in February and March this year.
    Case to be registered post non-payment of dues

    After the seizure of a vehicle involved in transporting mining material illegally, a fine is imposed and the vehicle owner is given a 90-day time period to pay it.
    If the owner fails to pay it within the stipulated time, FIR is lodged against him. Then, the case goes to the court.
    No conviction has been reported in such cases in the past two years.
    Sources said the number of vehicles seized for transporting mining materials illegally had shot up in 2022-23, indicating that the authorities failed to discourage those indulged in this trade.

    Niranjan Lal, Mining Officer, told The Tribune that they were putting in best efforts to curb this activity. “Regular check is being kept on the sensitive areas. Vehicles have been impounded of locals who were transporting mining materials illegally to nearby areas at cheaper rates,” he added.

    Admitting there was shortage of staff to deal with the situation efficiently, the MO said surveillance could be more effective once there were more staffers. “As many as 14 mining guards have been employed in the district,” he added.

    Vikrant Bhushan, Superintendent of Police, said the checking of vehicles was being carried out regularly. “Swift action is taken as soon as information regarding any unlawful activity is received,” he added.

    Meanwhile, JK Abhir, Deputy Commissioner (DC), directed the local officials of the Development and Panchayats Department to issue strict instructions to the gram panchayats of sensitive areas that the mining officer must be immediately informed if any illegal mining activity was found on the panchayat land. “It is the duty of the gram panchayat concerned to keep a tab on its area to curb the illegal activity,” said the DC who also instructed the officials to carry out surprise inspections at regular intervals.

  • Illegal mining: ED attaches assets worth Rs 5.21 crore

    Illegal mining: ED attaches assets worth Rs 5.21 crore

    BENGALURU: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Bengaluru Zonal Office, has provisionally attached assets — six immovable properties owned by the accused persons — worth Rs. 5.21 crore in a case related to illegal mining under the provisions of the Prevention of Money-laundering Act (PMLA). 

    The case pertains to the trading of illegally mined iron ore by various traders. ED initiated an investigation under PMLA based on an FIR registered by the Special Investigation Team, Karnataka Lokayukta against Mineral Enterprises Ltd, unknown government employees and other unknown persons under various sections of the Mines & Minerals Development Regulation Act, 1957 and Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, following directives of the Supreme Court.

    “During investigation under PMLA, it has been noticed that iron ore have been illegally mined, transported and traded without valid permits which caused loss to the exchequer. It has also been noticed that the source of such illegal iron ore are two mines owned by SB Minerals having partners – BP Anand Kumar, Panduranga Singh and Gopal Singh, one mine owned by Shanthlakshmi and J Mithyleswar and another mine owned by Bharat Mines and Minerals having partners – BMM Ispat Ltd and Dinesh Kumar Singhi,” an official release read. 

    Earlier, the Supreme Court-appointed Centrally Empowered Committee (CEC), during its survey of mining leases in Karnataka, found gross illegalities/encroachment with respect to these four mines and kept them in C Category and on the recommendation of the CEC, the Supreme Court cancelled their licenses. “Investigation under PMLA has established that the accused persons have caused wrongful loss to the Government exchequer and corresponding wrongful gain to themselves. Further investigation is under progress,” the release added.