11 tippers along with 3 machines seized after Congress leader raises alarm on illegal mining
Anandpur Sahib, May 28
The claims of Aam Aadmi Party government to rein in mining mafia in Punjab was busted when 11 tippers and three earth digging machines were seized for alleged illegal mining in Sutlej river late night here on Monday.
The police seized the vehicles and machines after former Punjab Youth Congress President Brinder Singh Dhillon along with his supporters reached the spot at 2 am and raised an alarm.
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Dhillon also shared a video clip on his social media account and claimed that nearly 30 tippers and five digging machines were involved in the illegal mining near Agampur bridge.
He informed Ropar SSP Gulneet Singh Khurana following which the cops took 22 tippers and four machines in their possession. Other tippers and one machine was taken away by the drivers taking advantage of the dark, he added.
There is no auctioned mining site in the area. Further, mining is prohibited up to 500 metres on upstream or downstream from the bridge. Dhillon claimed the spot where the machines were digging sand from the riverbed submerged under water was hardly at a distance of 100 metre from the bridge.
Interestingly, the one-kilometre-long bridge, providing connectivity to Anandpur Sahib with Doaba, is on the verge of collapse because of the mining mafia. It was constructed at a cost of Rs 70 crore in 1986. Over the past decade, the rampant illegal mining downstream near the bridge has lowered the riverbed, leading to increased flow of river water. As a result, the earth around the piers (the main support of the bridge upon which the structure rests) has eroded.
Two years ago, a team of experts had found that its 14 piers were exposed by erosion. The PWD officials sought over Rs 44 crore for the restoration work, but nothing has been done till now. Another bridge at Nangal area near Algran village has been damaged due to illegal mining. It was closed for vehicular traffic in December 2023 to avoid any untoward incident.
Dhillon alleged that illegal mining was being done in the area under the state government patronage and money generated through it was being used in elections.
Anandpur Sahib Mining Department Xen Vishavpal Goyal said that he is preparing to lodge a complaint with the police in this regard. He said that the identity of offenders was yet to be ascertained. Anandpur Sahib SHO Himmat Singh said that police will start investigation only after a complaint is filed by the mining department.
Anandpur Sahib MLA and cabinet minister Harjot Singh Bains denied all allegations of Dhillon and said that it was a big nexus developed during previous governments due to which illegal mining worth thousands of crores of rupees had been flourishing in the state.
