Punjab Mines and Geology Minister Sh. Barinder Kumar Goyal today said that the Punjab Government has further intensified its crackdown on illegal mining across the state with four separate enforcement operations in Pathankot, Kapurthala and Sri Anandpur Sahib. The operations resulted in the seizure of heavy machinery and vehicles used in illegal mining, the registration of cases against a stone crusher owner and the arrest of one person.
He informed that in the late-night operation conducted in the Jaswan village area of Pathankot district, the department seized a Poklain machine and an unnumbered tipper loaded with approximately 400 cubic feet (CFT) of gravel.
The Cabinet Minister informed that multiple teams of District Mining Office, Pathankot conducted inspections in the crusher zone at Jaswan village. During the inspection at Trehan Stone Crusher, the team found a yellow Poklain machine (Model R215L, CR No. N635D01027) being used in illegal mining activity and an unnumbered tipper bearing chassis number MAT569054 TAD12679, loaded with approximately 400 CFT of gravel.
The police took possession of the Poklain machine and the gravel-laden tipper. The case was subsequently registered under Section 21(1) of the Mines and Minerals Act, 1957, and Sections 303(2) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Taragarh Police Station.
The Cabinet Minister said that Trehan Stone Crusher had already been suspended by the Executive Engineer, Drainage-cum-Mining and Geology, vide letter No. 5243 dated May 22, 2026. Despite the suspension, the crusher was operating with the help of a generator and selling mineral material. The crusher owner was misleading customers by claiming that the crusher was operating with government approval.
As per the department’s records, the stone crusher is registered in the name of Navjot Singh, son of Khajan Singh, resident of Manwal Bagh village under Shahpurkandi Police Station in Pathankot district, he added.
*SIX TIPPERS, POCLAIN MACHINE, TRACTOR SEIZED AND ONE HELD IN KAPURTHALA RAID*
In a separate operation in Kapurthala district, the Mining Department’s flying squad, along with the local police, raided Khijarpur village and seized six tippers, a Poklain machine and a tractor in connection with the illegal mining activities. Two of the seized tippers were each loaded with approximately 800 cubic feet (CFT) of sand.
An FIR has been registered against Mical, resident of Lamma Pind, Jalandhar and five unidentified persons under Section 21(1) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act at Talwandi Chaudharian Police Station in Kapurthala district.