Gurdaspur: Video of illegal sand mining goes viral, probe on
Officials of canal department reached the spot and started investigation
Rohit Gupta
Gurdaspur February 7, 2024: A video of sand mining with a JCB and a trolley went viral from Upper Bari Doab Canal near Gurdaspur last evening.
According to an information, SHO Karishma of police station Purana Shala , took immediate action reached the spot and brought Jcb to the police station Purana Shala.
According to the official of the canal department, government work was going on there, but the villagers claimed that sand was being stolen from the canal with the help of JCB and trolley when MNREGA workers had gone after completing their work.
After the matter came to the notice of the Deputy Commissioner, SSP, Canal Department and senior officials of the Mining Department, an investigation has been started.
On the other hand XEN Karnvir Singh Bains of the Canal Department has said that if the theft of sand from the canal was confirmed, the accused will not be spared.
On the basis of an information SHO of Thana Purana Shala taken the possession of JCB and brought to the Thana Purana Shala. A video of this had already gone viral by the villagers, in which JCB and trolley were seen taking out the sand pit from the canal.
The matter came to the attention of the journalists and also brought to the attention of the officials of the concerned departments including the Deputy Commissioner.
On recieving the information Sanjeev Sharma, SDO of the canal department reached at the spot. He said that due to the constant erosion of the banks of the canal crates of sandbags were being built on the banks. Water is to be released in the canal on February 13, 14, so JCB was installed to speed up the work.
On the other hand, the residents of the area, who contacted the journalists, said that when the MNREGA workers left for work in the evening, the sand was being taken out of the canal by the JCB and trolley.
When the XEN of the Mining Department Dilpreet Singh was spoken to in this matter, he said that as soon as the matter came to his notice, he has written to XEN Karnveer Singh of the Canal Department to report it immediately. Action will be taken according to the report of canal department.
On the other hand, XEN Karnaveer Singh of the canal department said that the work was being done there by the canal department, but it will be revealed from the spot investigation that sand has been extracted from the canal as per the requirement of the work or more than that.