Budgam, Feb 01: The Geology and Mining Department’s district mineral office Budgam has seized 1,120 vehicles in the last three years and fined to the tune of Rs. 17,357,156 from the offenders who were found involved in the illegal mining and transportation of minerals across the district.
As per the official figures, in the financial year 2020–2021, the District Mineral Office Budgam has seized 199 vehicles, which include 39 tractors, 146 tippers, and 13 JCB machines and imposed a total fine of Rs 3,286,980 from the offenders.
Similarly, in the year 2021–2022, 499 vehicles were seized by the department, which includes 148 tractors, 297 tippers, and 54 machines. For this, offenders were fined for the total of Rs 6,983,847.
In the year 2022 until January 2023, the department has seized 442 vehicles, which include 107 tractors, 304 tippers, and 31 machines across the district. During this period, the department has fined Rs 7,086,329 from the offenders across the Budgam district.
An official from the district mineral office, Budgam told the Rising Kashmir that during the years 2022–2023, eight tippers have been seized for the third time whose FIRs under Section 21 of the MMDR Act 1957 have been registered at the concerned police station in the district.
“Three FIRs have been registered against 16 persons who were involved in the illegal mining and transportation of minerals,” an official said.
He further said that illegal mining and transportation of the minerals are already banned in Jammu and Kashmir under the J&K Minor Mineral Concession, Storage, Transportation of Minerals, and Prevention of Illegal Mining Rules 2016.
“The people should abstain from illegal mining activities that have already been banned by the government. In the case any person is found involved in such activities, strict action will be taken against him as per the law,” he said.
