Jammu, February 27:The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), on Friday said to carry out a surprise two-day operation in Udhampur and Reasi, uncovering widespread illegal mining, officials said
They said, ACB teams seized electronic devices, records, and fake ‘Form-A’ documents from stone crusher units. Early findings suggest involvement of some officials, while all inspected sites were violating environmental rules.
In a statement a spokesperson said in a decisive move to protect the region’s environment and combat corruption, the Anti-Corruption Bureau has launched sweeping Joint Surprise Checks (JSCs) targeting illegal mining operations across the Udhampur and Reasi districts.
He said, the operation was initiated following serious complaints of widespread illegal mineral extraction across the Jammu Division. “Preliminary reports indicated a suspected nexus between mineral bidders and certain officials within the Mining and Ecological Departments, allowing these activities to operate unchecked.”
“To immediately halt the illegal extraction and misuse of natural resources, specialized ACB teams—spearheaded by Gazetted Officers—executed coordinated, surprise inspections at multiple stone crushing facilities throughout both districts,” said the spokesperson.
He said, the key findings from the operation are as: seizure of Eevidence, including ACB sleuths conducted extensive searches, confiscating crucial electronic gadgets, critical records and highly incriminating documents.
“Forgery Uncovered: Multiple allegedly forged ‘Form-A’ transit documents were recovered directly from the operational sites. Severe Environmental Violations: All inspected stone crushers were found to be actively indulging in illegal mining. Facilities were operating in grave violation of their mandated terms and conditions, causing irreversible ecological degradation to the region.”
He further said, the ACB remains steadfast in its commitment to dismantling corrupt networks and halting the exploitation of Jammu’s natural resources. Further investigations based on the recovered evidence are actively underway.—(KNO)
