HC mulls military oversight for illegal mining at India-Pakistan Border; seeks clarification from Centre
Illegal mining: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has sought clarification from the Central Government regarding the handling of illegal mining operations along the India-Pakistan border. The court has asked why the military should not be tasked with investigating these activities, including conducting aerial and land surveys. The government has been asked to submit a response by September 18.
Earlier, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had termed the illegal mining as a serious security threat and imposed a ban on such activities within a five-km radius of the border. This ban followed concerns that mining pits could serve as hideouts for terrorists crossing from Pakistan. The court’s awareness of these activities came through reports from the Indian Army and the Border Security Force (BSF).
The court had earlier requested the Central Government to provide a strategy for regulating mining in the border area. Due to a lack of response over nine months, the HC initially imposed a fine of Rs 20,000. The Central Government attributed the delay to the involvement of the Defense and Environment Ministries. Consequently, the court reduced the fine to Rs 5,000 and has now questioned why the military should not oversee the investigation and surveying of mining activities in the border region.
- PTC NEWS
