1,845 FIRs, 3,988 Seizures Across Punjab in Just 5 Years
CHANDIGARH: The CM Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against illegal mining, with sustained enforcement drives resulting in 1,845 FIRs and 3,988 seizures across the state over the last five years. The Mining Department has imposed penalties worth ₹28.70 crore against illegal mining activities, out of which ₹27.33 crore has already been recovered, Punjab Mines and Geology Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal said on Friday.
Addressing a press conference at Punjab Bhawan, Punjab Mines and Geology Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal shared year-wise details of enforcement action, including FIRs registered, vehicles and machinery seized, penalties imposed and amounts recovered. “The department, in close coordination with the police, has intensified its action to curb unauthorised extraction and transportation of minerals and ensure strict compliance with mining regulations,” he asserted.
Providing the figures for 2026, he said, “The department has registered 247 FIRs and made 668 seizures of machinery and vehicles during the year. Penalties amounting to ₹8.67 crore have been imposed, out of which ₹8.02 crore has already been recovered. These figures reflect the intensified enforcement and sustained field-level action being undertaken by the department.”
Sharing details of recent enforcement operations conducted across Punjab in close coordination with the police, Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal said that on October 6, 2026, the department intercepted an unnumbered tipper loaded with sand during a night operation in the Sidhwan Bet area of Ludhiana. The vehicle was handed over to the local police, and FIR No. 283/2026 was registered at Police Station Sidhwan Bet.
The Cabinet Minister further informed that on October 17, a late-night raid was conducted at Trehan Stone Crusher in village Jaswan, Pathankot, where a Pokalin machine and an unnumbered tipper carrying approximately 400 cubic feet of gravel were seized. “The crusher has been suspended earlier but is found operating and selling mineral material in violation of prescribed norms. FIR No. 156/2026 was registered at Police Station Taragarh under the relevant provisions of the Mines and Minerals Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita,” he added.
