The mining mafia is a menace faced by police officials in almost every state due to support from political leaders, including Haryana where a DSP probing illegal mine operations was killed in Nuh district on Tuesday. However, in West Bengal, the illegal industry is reeling for the past year due to strict regulations to curb illegal sand and coal mining, sources said.
Surendra Singh, a deputy superintendent of Harayan police investigating illegal stone-mining was killed Tuesday when a truck he signalled to stop in the state’s Nuh district drove into him.
Director General of Bengal police, Manoj Malviya held a key meeting with senior officials of the Western Range last week as the river beds in the regions are the main areas of illegal mining. All officials from Puruliya attended the meeting. Sources said the DG said illegal mining of sand and coal will not be tolerated and whoever is found guilty will be taken to custody. “Political colour should not come in the way of police action,” he said.
Last year, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared the West Bengal Mineral Development and Trading Corporation will hold auctions online that were earlier done by the district magistrates.
Central Mining policy regulation was the need of the hour. Mamata Banerjee in several administrative meetings in the Western range has directed officials to take strict action against illegal miners. Sources said in the last one year, illegal coal mining has almost stopped in the State.
“This time it’s clear that the government seriously wants to curb this menace and whatever DG said also proves that the top officials wants an end to illegal mining,” sources said.
Curbing the mining mafia has political reasons too. Local leaders fight for control of dry riverbeds often leads to unsocial activities and crime.
Directing strict action against the offenders, Chief Minister Banerjee had said last year, “don’t spare anyone, even if he is a politician or officer.”
Apart from the crime, politicians’ involvement in clashed over control of the dry river bed tarnishes the overall image of the party in power.
An officer told News18, “illegal coal has totally stopped now and government has become strict on the sand mining too. This has resulted in gains in the State Revenue, In 2015, when the government conducted raids, the state income increased from Rs 25 crores to Rs 300 crores.
Welcoming the control on illegal mining, an officer also stressed that crime too will go down with such tough measures.
Experts have noted that if the state government can achieve curb on mining ahead of the panchayat polls, it will have a significant good impact for the ruling TMC.
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