Kathua: ₹4 lakh penalty recovered from vehicles involved in illegal mining

KATHUA, JANUARY 28: A team of Geology and Mining department led by District Mineral Officer (DMO) Rajinder Singh Rana initiated action against one JCB and 14 vehicles for illegal mining and transportation, here today.

The JCB machine was seized and penalised for excavating over 1000 MTs of River Bed Material in Mager Khad areas, two dumpers were seized for lifting mineral without  e-challans and one tipper of Mega Engineering Company was seized at Hatli for lifting clay without valid documents.

Similarly, 13 Punjab based trucks were penalised at Toll post Lakhanpur for loading crushed aggregate and screened sand beyond the carrying capacity as per legal documents carried by drivers of trucks and penalty was collected from them on the spot.

During checking at Lakhanpur, instructions were issued to tipper drivers for loading mineral strictly as per the valid e-challans and GST bills and not to indulge in illegal and unauthorised transportation of minerals.

The DMO informed that mining guards have been deputed at all hot spots and Mining sites where mining activities are taken up. He also informed that a permanent naka has also been set up at Lakhanpur to check dumpers moving towards Punjab.