Ropar, Nov 18: Ropar AAP MLA Dinesh Chadha has written a sharply worded letter to the district administration, asking it to enforce the Punjab State Mining Policy-2025 “in full spirit” after recent reports exposed late-night illegal mining in the district. Citing a Tribune investigation that showed excavators and tippers operating openly in riverbeds, Chadha questioned how the administration could claim ignorance when media teams were able to record such activity.
“If newspapers and channels can capture the footage so openly, how can the administration claim ignorance?” he wrote to the Deputy Commissioner and Senior Superintendent of Police. He said the reports raise serious concerns about the vigilance and seriousness of district authorities.
Chadha said the government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann implemented the Mining Policy-2025 in July with the aim of regularising all mining operations and eliminating illegal practices that had flourished earlier due to lax oversight. “Any deviation from the policy framework now cannot be seen merely as an administrative lapse but must be treated as wilful negligence by officials responsible for enforcement,” the MLA said.
He demanded that personal accountability be fixed if mining occurs outside permitted hours or beyond approved sites. “The government has created a transparent, technology-based system. If illegal extraction still happens, it raises questions about the seriousness of local enforcement,” he noted.
Chadha urged the DC and SSP to ensure officers—from mining inspectors to SHOs and patrolling teams—are held answerable for violations detected in their jurisdictions. He wrote that continued illegal mining despite a comprehensive policy “reflects poorly” on the district administration and requires immediate corrective action.
