Prayagraj (Yamunanagar): Illegal mining is being carried out openly in Pratappur Semri Bhilore, in the Lalapur police station area, and the mining department is ignoring the situation despite knowing everything. This not only results in revenue loss but also blatantly disregards the Chief Minister’s orders. According to information received from sources, mining mafias carry out illegal mining by openly digging the Yamuna river at the Yamuna Ghats of Pratappur, Semri, Bhilore in Lalapur police station area, in which the mining mafias are becoming rich with the connivance of the mining department and the local police. People allege that no mining lease has been given by the government on these Yamuna Ghats, nor has any mining permit been given to anyone, but with the connivance of the local police and the mining department, sand mining is being done on a large scale, the local police is duly getting the money collected by deploying its own people, and illegal mining is being done openly. People also allege that the mining department inspectors, in the name of checking mining, only check silica sand.

The mining department pats itself on the back by catching those who have a lease but do not have a permit for transportation by tractor. Recently, during checking, the mining department checked only silica sand, in which dozens of tractors loaded with silica sand were caught doing illegal mining, but the mineral inspector did not see hundreds of trucks and tractors engaged in illegal mining nearby. Whereas if the mining department conducts checking honestly, then the hundreds of tractor trucks which leave these ghats every day as soon as the sun sets, loaded with illegally mined Yamuna sand, would be easily caught. But the mining department does not even go to see the tractors and trucks leaving these ghats, let alone take action against them. Now the question arises that the Chief Minister and the Mining Director have given strict orders that illegal mining should not take place anywhere. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is pursuing a zero-tolerance policy, but officials in the mining department and local police are ignoring Chief Minister Yogi’s orders to line their own pockets. Locals allege that while the mining officer is fine, Mining Inspector Vaibhav Soni is fearless and openly facilitates illegal mining, costing the government lakhs of rupees in revenue daily. However, due to his authoritarian attitude, he takes no action against the illegal mining mafia. Whatever the case may be, only the Mining Inspector knows. Large-scale illegal mining is taking place in the Lalapur police station area, causing revenue losses and blatant disregard for the Chief Minister’s wishes. Local social workers and some BJP workers, speaking on condition of anonymity, demanded that illegal mining be stopped to save the government from disrepute.