Police return seized machine to contractor

Two Pokland earth movers and a digging machine seized on November 23 by the district administration from a mining site and taken to the Rahon police station, were returned by the cops to the mining contract here on Tuesday.

On November 22, high drama ensued between workers of a Malakpur sand mine contractor and Garshankar MLA Jai Kishan Singh Rori, who exchanged heated arguments. The workers demanded a search warrant.

MLA Rori targeted the state government for going easy on illegal mining contracts and sheltering them.

A video shot by the MLA shows the workers saying, “You have no authority to visit any mining site without the permission as you are not an MLA of this constituency.”

Sources said that no FIR was registered by the Rahon police as they were waiting for mining department to take action in the matter.

District mining officer Chaman Lal Garg could not be reached for comments despite repeated attempts.

Sources in the mining department said that the officials did not find any proof of Pokland earth movers and a digging machine being used at the site for digging sand.

The department however had issued a notice to the contractor asking the why he had placed these machines on the site.

MAN HELD FOR MINING

A man was arrested by for illegal mining at Raipur Araian near Satluj river here on Tuesday.

As per the police, following complaints by the residents, Jalandhar mining officer Manjeet Singh led by Phillaur police raided the place and found Kuldeep Kumar of Shokra village in Phillaur illegally mining sand from the site. A case under section 21 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 was registered against the accused.