LOCALS JOIN SAINTS TO SAVE ‘RELIGIOUS’ HILLS IN BHARATPUR

BHARATPUR: Seers organised a mahapanchayat in protest against illegal mining in Bharatpur on Thursday. They have been on a sit-in over the last 33 days demanding mining ban in the hills of Braj Mewat region.

In the mahapanchayat, they decided to give one-month time limit to the district administration for legal action against illegal mining.

According to the seers, mining mafia have been destroying the hills of religious importance in the forest land over a long time.

Shri Aadi Badrinath Dham located under Nagar tehsil of Mewat region has Hindu religious sentiments.

Sub- division Bayana, Rupwas, Kaman, Nagar and Pahari have been infamous for illegal mining where locals often register complaints about the same.

Radha Priya president of Maan mandir trust, said, “The famous land of lord Krishna has many hills that have been damaged by mining mafia. We have decided to launch mahapadav (indefinite sit-in) at the district headquarter if illegal mining is not stopped within a month.”

Sub-divisional magistrate of Deeg, Hemant Kumar said that in 2008, 5000 hectares of land of hills had already been reserved for forest by state government in Nagar and Pahari tahsils. Forty-four mining lease here, allotted by government, are active, while proposal of other parts of hills in both tahsils, apart from 5000 hectare, will be forwarded to government to include in forest reserve area.

ACCORDING TO SEERS, MINING MAFIA HAVE BEEN DESTROYING THE HILLS OF RELIGIOUS IMPORTANCE