Deepak Thakur
Talwara, 8 January
The meeting of the delegation of Kanan Roko Zamin Bachao Sangharsh Committee Hajipur Talwara was held under the chairmanship of SDM Mukerian in the presence of police and mining department officials. The invitation to the meeting was given by the SDM after a protest by the Sangharsh Committee against five stone crushers and alleged mining in Adda Jheer da well. Captain Rajesh Kumar Bhol Badmani, Manoj Palahar, Lakhbir Singh Bela Saryana, Kharak Singh, Sarpanch Gurmeet Kaur, Sarpanch Rekha Rani, Sarpanch Rajinder Kaur and Panch Ashok Jaleria, included in the delegation, visited the villages of Nam Nagar, New Ghar and Handwal under Hajipur block. New five stones are being laid near the population in the villages of Chakmirpur Kothi, Bhol Badmani etc. of Block Talwara. Demanded cancellation of crushers. The delegation apprised the officials of the problems faced by the local people due to illegal mining in the Swan River and Beas River. He highlighted the potential danger due to heavy vehicles passing through the tracks and bridges of the Hydel Canal carrying mining materials and ferries of the village. The matter of stone crusher being brought by digging a mountain in village Bhol Badmani was also kept. The delegation also questioned the approval given to the alleged mining and stone crushers in the villages of Block Talwara under Section 4 and 5 of Forest under the Punjab Land and Preservation Act (PLPA) 1900. The delegation demanded a ban on new crushers and an inspection of the existing crushers, and a survey of the lands damaged due to illegal mining in Hajipur and Talwara and compensation due to be collected from the crusher owners. Questions were raised on the resumption of undocumented political swindlers under the Shah Canal Barrage (52 gates) despite the stone crusher being sealed twice.
The SDM assured the investigation
SDM Mukerian Kamaljit Singh assured the delegation of review of new stone crushers and inspection of existing crushers. He instructed the officials of the mining department to take appropriate steps to stop illegal mining. On this occasion, DSP Kulwinder Singh Virak, Police Station Talwara Chief Harprem Singh, SDO Mining Sukhpreet Singh and Sandeep Kumar, JE Deepak Chhabra etc. were present.
