Six Vehicle Owners Fined For Illegal Mining In Neemuch

Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh): The district administration has imposed penalties totalling Rs 3.88 lakh on six vehicle owners for illegally extracting and transporting minerals under the Madhya Pradesh Mineral (Prevention of Illegal Mining, Transportation and Storage) Rules, 2022.

The administration took the action on the directions of Collector Himanshu Chandra as part of the district's ongoing drive against illegal mining and unauthorised transportation of minerals.

Authorities imposed the highest penalty of Rs 2.12 lakh on the owner of a dumper seized by Nayagaon police for allegedly transporting murum without paying royalty.

They also penalised the owners of a tractor transporting gravel, a JCB used for illegal murum excavation, a tractor carrying sand, another tractor transporting stone and a dumper transporting gravel without valid permission.

The penalties include royalty recovery at the prescribed rates along with environmental compensation, taking the total amount to Rs 3,88,975 across the six cases.

Collector Chandra directed the district mining officer to ensure that the vehicle owners deposit the penalty amount in the government treasury within 15 days before the seized vehicles are released.

He said the administration will continue strict action against illegal mining and unauthorised transportation of minerals across the district.