Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India]: The leader of Opposition in Himachal Pradesh State assembly Jairam Thakur on Sunday called upon the government to address the issue of the illegal mining mafia operating in the state.
Thakur emphasized the need for the government to take decisive action against these illegal mining operations and impose severe penalties swiftly.
He argued that such actions would break the morale of the mining mafia, which poses a significant threat to the state’s drinking water, irrigation projects, agricultural fields, crops, and local residences.
“Government should take serious action against such mining mafias. Get the harshest punishment as soon as possible. Due to this the morale of the mafia will be broken.
Drinking water and irrigation projects are being harmed due to illegal mining, there is a threat to the fields, crops and houses of the local people. In such a situation, the government should take the strictest steps towards stopping illegal mining,” BJP leader Thakur said.
Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister pointed towards an incident reported in Kangra where the illegal mining mafia got into a tussle with local police.
“When the police stopped the mafia over illegal mining in Lanj of Kangra, he got into a tussle with the police and started abusing them. This is not the first case in which the mining mafia has misbehaved with the police. Before this, such news was coming out every day from different parts of the state,” he said.
Opposition leader Thakur said the government is claiming that mining work has been completely stopped in the disaster-affected areas of the state but it is not true.
“If newspapers are to be believed, four cases of beatings and intimidation by mining mafias have been reported in Lanj outpost under Kangra police station in the last two months. The condition of the rest of the state can be estimated more easily than this. When the mafia misbehaves with the police then how will the general public raise their voice against the mafia?
The Leader of the Opposition further stated that attacks on police by the mining mafia are coming to light every day.
“Sometimes incidents of fighting with the police, and snatching of their mobile phones have become common. Sometimes the mafia attacks the police and sometimes they open fire among themselves. This kind of situation is not good for the state in any respect,” he said.
Jairam Thakur also requested that Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu should take the strictest action and tighten his grip over the mining mafia.
“I urge the Chief Minister to look into this matter and take strict action against the mafia. Chief Minister should tighten his grip on the mafia as well as the people who are abetting them. Bharatiya Janata Party has a clear demand from the government that there should be no place for any kind of mafia in Dev Bhoomi Himachal Pradesh,” he said.
