Illegal mining: Former Akali sarpanch, panchayat secy booked

FARIDKOT: Indicted for illegal mining on panchayat land in a departmental inquiry, former Akali sarpanch of Janer village Manwinder Singh and panchayat secretary Harcharan Singh have been booked for theft, breach of trust and criminal conspiracy.

This has happened around 10 months after then Moga deputy commissioner wrote to the director, rural development and panchayat department, to recover ₹65 lakh from the two for causing losses to the state exchequer.

The accused have been booked under sections of 379 (theft), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code; 7, 13, 2, 88 of Prevention of Corruption Act-1988, and 21, 22 Mining and Mineral Act -957 at Kot Isse Khan police station in Moga.

Manwinder and Harcharan had been indicted in an inquiry that the rural development and panchayat department had started in October 2017. The general manager-cum-mining officer had stated on record that illegal mining had taken place on the panchayat land. He had also recommended legal action against the duo.

The inquiry had also quantified the sand that was illegally mined at 3.3-lakh tonnes from 21 acres of panchayat land during 2014-16 when the SAD-BJP government was in power. In February 2018, when the inquiry report came out, HT had carried a report in its February 25 edition, titled, ‘State to recover ₹65 lakh from sarpanch, panchayat secy’.

Following this, then financial commissioner of the rural development department Anurag Verma suspended the sarpanch and the panchayat secretary. Verma had also sent a recommendation to minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa to take action against the block development and panchayat officer Jagir Singh, who is retired now, for negligence.

Dharamkot deputy superintendent of police and investigating officer, Ajayraj Singh, confirmed the development, adding he has sought the case file from the Kot Isse Khan police.

Manwinder was incommunicado despite several attempts.

GOVT YET TO RECOVER ₹65 LAKH

On recovery of the amount. Moga district development and panchayat officer Lakhwinder Singh said as per the procedure, three notices have to be served to the officials concerned, of which two have already been issued. “If they don’t deposit the amount then we will attach their property to recover the amount,” he said.

The rural and panchayat development department had also asked the district development and panchayat officer to recover ₹65 lakh from the sarpanch and the panchayat secretary.

Sources claimed that the market value of the illegally mined sand was around ₹3 crore.