No tolerance to illegal mining in Uttarakhand: Trivendra Singh Rawat

Dehradun: Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Monday asked officials to adopt zero-tolerance towards illegal mining, days after a forest department employee was killed allegedly by mining mafia in Ramnagar.

Mr Rawat asked Secretary, Mining, Shailesh Bagoli, to take stern actions against anyone found involved in illegal mining in the state.

Mr Bagoli said measures are being put in place to help the checkposts personnel distinguish easily between vehicles loaded with legal and illegal mining material.

He said better coordination between police and district magistrates will be established to nab those engaged in illegal mining.

Earlier, terming as highly condemnable the alleged murder of the forest beat watcher in Kosi river mining area on March 24, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prakash Pant told the Assembly the government will adopt a policy of “no tolerance” towards illegal mining.

In reply to an adjournment motion proposed on the issue by Opposition Congress MLA Pritam Singh, he said the state government has spared no effort in taking quick action on the incident.

“One of the named accused in the case, Jaswant Singh alias Jassi, has already been sent to jail under judicial custody, whereas the rest will also be arrested soon,” he said.

Immediate action was taken in the matter despite the accused trying to seek protection from some powerful connections, Mr Pant said.

He said the Chief Minister gave a compensation of Rs. 1 lakh to the family of the deceased on the day of the incident.

Seeing the economic condition of the family, the CM has also announced another Rs. 4 lakh as compensation and a government job to his wife, the Minister said.

Moral responsibility for the crime is also being ascertained, he said.