MOGA, November 3 — A large-scale crackdown is underway in Moga’s Dharamkot subdivision after the misuse of a flood-relief initiative meant for farmers turned into a cover for illegal sand mining. At least eight people have been booked, with multiple police cases registered, officials said Monday.
The Mining Department detected unauthorized extraction of sand under the state government’s “Jihda Khet Ussdi Reat” scheme — a programme launched to help farmers reclaim land inundated by the Satluj River floods. Instead, the relaxation has been exploited by private operators for commercial gain.
“The relaxation is only for rehabilitating farmlands and not for commercial mining,” Moga Deputy Commissioner Sagar Setia said. “Any extraction that alters the original field surface or creates trenches will be treated as illegal activity.”
Following the floods two months ago, which left thousands of acres buried under sand and silt, the Punjab government allowed flood-hit landowners to remove and sell the accumulated material without requiring a permit or No-Objection Certificate (NOC) until December 31, 2025. Twenty-nine villages in the Dharamkot area were notified for this exemption.
However, officials said several individuals have been caught extracting sand from non-affected lands and even from commercial mining sites, taking undue advantage of the scheme. During an inspection near the Satluj River on October 26, four people were caught red-handed violating the scheme’s terms.
In separate incidents, two FIRs were filed on Sunday against four individuals in Chak Jindra and Chak Taarewala villages based on complaints by Anubhav Singh Sirodia, Junior Engineer-cum-Mining Inspector.
Officials noted that the introduction of “Jihda Khet Ussdi Reat” has triggered a steep 30–35% fall in sand prices across the region in just two weeks. While the drop benefits consumers and construction firms, it also highlights the profit potential driving illegal extraction.
Deputy Commissioner Setia said all Sub-Divisional Magistrates and the District Mining Officer have been directed to tighten monitoring and prevent unauthorized operations beyond the notified flood-hit zones.
“The scheme was designed to provide relief, not revenue,” Setia said, adding that the administration is determined to ensure that the initiative is not hijacked by the sand mafia
