Shimla | Sept 11, 2016: In the wake of the issue of illegal mining, Himachal Pradesh government has issued fresh instructions to the deputy commissioners and superintendents to convene monthly meetings to review the action taken by all the concerned officers against illegal mining, while a committee comprising of officials from different departments too would be constituted in all the districts.

The state high court on August 24 had directed the government to file a status report on steps taken to curb mining menace throughout the state. It also questioned what action has been taken against those officers of the district administration, who allowed the mining mafia to perpetrate. Court had asked the authorities to explain the reasons which necessitated the untimely transfers of Una deputy commissioner and additional SP of Baddi and the entire record relating to their transfers.

A senior government official said state government had asked the all the commissioners to constitute committees of HP public and works department (PWD) and revenue and forest officials, since most of the routes leading to the river beds have been carved out illegally on the forest land or government land and the mineral so extracted is being stacked on the acquired width of the PWD roads.

He said deputy commissioners have also been directed to ask the state electricity board officials to ensure that metering of crusher units be done at the level of transformers or sub-stations to eliminate the possibilities of theft of electricity, adding that they would also ensure through surprise inspections that no diesel generated sets are used illegally by crusher owners.

The official said to decentralize the powers under the mining acts and to take cognizance of illegal mining activities, government has delegated powers to 39 officers and officials of different categories of various departments like revenue, HPPWD, I&PH, industries, BDOs, RTOs etc.

A sub-divisional level of flying squad under the chairmanship of concerned SDM, having DSP and ACF as its members has also been constituted to conduct raids against illegal mining, he added.

During the recently concluded monsoon session of state assembly, BJP legislator Satpal Singh Satti had raised the issue and said in Haroli constituency of Una district, one person died after falling into 80 feet deep pit at Bathu village.

(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)