Illegal mining: District administration imposes ₹110 cr fine

PUNE: Acting tough on illegal mining carried out in Pune district, the administration in the past two years has imposed a fine of ₹110 cr on offenders under the

PUNE: Acting tough on illegal mining carried out in Pune district, the administration in the past two years has imposed a fine of ₹110 cr on offenders under the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code 1966.

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Sanjay Bamne, mining officer in district collectorate, said, “The administration has been taking strict steps to check illegal excavations in the district. The violators have been given one month to pay the fine. Non-payment of fine within due date will attract hike in property tax and police cases will be filed for violations of the norms of Maharashtra Land Revenue code 1966.”

According to senior officials of the Pune district collectorate, of the 789 mining sites in the district, 311 are illegal.

Majority of violations in the district are found in Daund, Indapur and Bhigwan areas.

“Permission from district administration and the environment ministry is a must for carrying out any mining activity. During our regular inspections, we found that some miners carry permission of environment ministry only. Hence, action is taken against these offenders,” Bamne said.