Chandigarh: Five people were arrested and five vehicles and machines seized during a night operation against illegal mining in the Chamkaur Sahib area of Ropar district, Punjab mining and geology minister Barinder Kumar Goyal said on Sunday.The joint team of mining officials and police seized three excavators, including a backhoe loader, and two tippers, following the registration of a case at Sri Chamkaur Sahib police station.The accused have been identified as Ravi Kumar of Bela, Ashwani Kumar of Tonsa, Jaspal Singh of Aima, Ashwani Kumar of Bama and Harjinder Singh of Lakhowal. All five villages fall in Ropar or Nawanshahr districts.The case was registered under Sections 4(1) and 21(1) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, following a complaint by a junior engineer-cum-mining inspector.The seized equipment includes two JCB excavators, a JCB backhoe loader, a BharatBenz tipper and a Tata tipper.Goyal said the government would not allow illegal mining to deplete natural resources or cause losses to the public exchequer. He said enforcement teams had been directed to maintain strict vigilance and act firmly against violations while ensuring an adequate supply of minerals for legitimate needs.
