Uttarakhand Forest Minister Harak Singh Rawat on Friday said enough proof exists that illegal mining was being carried out in two state rivers, after which an inquiry has been ordered into the issue.
He told reporters here that the divisional forest officer (DFO) accused of involvement in illegal mining has also been attached to the department headquarters.
The minister has been under fire over the allegations of illegal mining in Malan and Sukhro rivers of Kotdwar.
The minister admitted at a press conference that illegal mining had been carried out in the two rivers in the name of "channelisation", in violation of the norms.
Lansdowne DFO Deepak Singh kept denying the allegations but preliminary investigation confirmed the charges, Rawat said.
Rawat said he had personally inspected the rivers and found "enough signs" of illegal mining.
DFO Singh has been attached to the Forest Department headquarters in Dehradun and a probe has been ordered into the allegations, the minister said, adding that the guilty won’t be spared.
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Published 17 December 2021, 14:50 IST