*Unregistered JCB seized, Patwari suspended
Excelsior Correspondent
SAMBA, May 30: District Magistrate Samba, Abhishek Sharma, today led a decisive operation against illegal mining activities and unauthorized land use conversion in Village Salmeri, Tehsil Vijaypur, District Samba.
Acting on a complaint received by the office of the Deputy Commissioner, the district administration swiftly initiated a joint operation with the Revenue officers, the District Mineral Officer, and the Police officials.
During the inspection, officials discovered multiple unlawful activities, including the illegal conversion of land use and large-scale mining operations without the requisite permissions. Moreover, a violation of the Water Resources (Regulation and Management) Act, 2010 was observed, as the perpetrators had altered the course of a nearby Nallah in Village Pekhari.
To address these violations, the District Magistrate issued stringent directions to all Revenue officers and the District Mineral Officer, urging them to take immediate legal action against the culprits in accordance with the relevant acts. The objective of these measures is to deter such illegal practices and safeguard the region’s natural resources.
As a result, an unregistered JCB (earth-moving equipment) was seized at the location where it was extracting minerals without any valid permission. Furthermore, the driver of the JCB was promptly arrested for his involvement in the illegal activity.
In light of the grave nature of the violations and the failure to report them to the appropriate authorities, the concerned halqa Patwari, PH Vijaypur, has been suspended with immediate effect.
The District Mineral officer, DMO Samba, has been entrusted with the responsibility of taking necessary legal action against the violators under the provisions of the law. The DMO has also reported instances of illegal land leveling without permission, demonstrating the persistence of illegal mining even after the joint inspection.
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