The authorities have cracked down on illegal mining in Chamarajanagar district and have registered 18 cases so far during the current year besides collecting ₹1.4 crore by way of penalty.
A release said the district task force has also seized 138 vehicles used for ferrying and transporting the illegally mined minerals including granite.
In Begur hobli of Gundlupet taluk, the authorities suspended the operations of four crushing units which did not have licence or permission to carry out the operations. The administration levied a penalty of ₹8 lakh on those running the unit. As per the existing law permission has been issued only to 2 crushing units to operate in the region, said the authorities.
The district task force had carried out a survey and identified units that were illegally operating in Chamarajanagar and action was initiated based on the report, the release said.
Two cases of illegal mining were also detected in Arepura and Rangapura villages in Begur hobli and cases were registered in the local court. The district administration has established a checkpost at Hirikati village on the Nanjangud-Gundlupet highway and goods vehicles are monitored on a 24x7 basis to identify and detect the transportation of illegally mined materials if any.
