A Punjab mining department executive engineer in Rupnagar district was suspended following complaints of illegal sand mining in his area, state minister Harjot Singh Bains said Tuesday.
The minster for mining and geology said Puneet Sharma was suspended with immediate effect on the basis of complaints and reports of illegal sand mining.
According to a government directive, mining is prohibited during Monsoon season. However, complaints of late-night mining in Khera Kalmot and other surrounding areas of Rupnagar district were brought to the notice, he stated.
”The officer failed to issue notices in time to the contractors for installing under-capacity weighing bridges which were not fit for all-sized vehicles,” the minister said in a statement here.
The officer did not take steps to achieve the target of stopping illegal mining in the district, said Bains, adding no one will be allowed to indulge in such activities.
He said any officer found involved in illegal activities will have to face departmental action and even legal action.
