BHOPAL: Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, in the course of a video conference on Monday, appreciated Rashmi Pandey, a mining inspector of Sehore district, had caught dumpers overloaded with sand. The seized dumpers belonged to CM’s nephew Pradhyumna Singh Chouhan.
Chouhan also appreciated the officers of Sehore, Panna and other districts, where strict action is being taken against illegal mining. Chouhan asked administrative and police officers to take the strictest action possible against illegal miners and transporters. He asked them to crush the mining mafia. Chouhan said the task force, constituted in all districts to check illegal mining and transportation, should work with alacrity and vehicles involved in these activities should be confiscated. Mining inspector Pandey had caught four dumpers overloaded with sand on Saturday. As the issues was threatening to snowball into a controversy, Chouhan talked about illegal mining in his video-conference, which was organised in connection with the ‘Narmada Jayanti’.
The removal of Katni SP Gaurav Tiwari probing the Hawala scam in the recent past had kicked up a big controversy. The government does not want to take any risk by penalising officers who take action against persons associated with the ruling party.
Sources said Pandey was also pressurised after she seized the dumpers and attempts were made to get them released before filing of the case. Pandey did not succumb to the pressure and the government is now backing her. Chouhan, during the video-conference, also instructed the officers to launch a campaign against hooligans.
