Poonch: Heavy penalty imposed on Stone crushers, leaseholders for Violation of mining regulations

POONCH: To enforce compliance to environmental norms, District Mineral Officer (DMO) Poonch, during his recent whirlwind tour of the district, has imposed substantial penalties on several stone crushers, leaseholders and a government company for violation of regulations. A penalty of ₹37 lakh has been imposed on stone crushers and ₹2 lakh on leaseholders for violation of operational and environmental norms and mining lease agreements.  An additional ₹2 lakh penalty has been charged from a government company for not complying with operational guidelines.

To enforce strict compliance with mineral exploitation laws and promote sustainable mining practices, the DMO also issued a penalty notice of ₹25 lakh to stone crusher unit holders across the Poonch district for violations of established norms. The DMO emphasized that these actions are taken to ensure that mining operations are conducted in an environmentally responsible manner and enforce payment of due royalties.