3-member panel to probe illegal sand mining
Amid the raging controversy over IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal’s suspension issue, the Centre on Wednesday constituted a three-member panel to probe allegations of illegal sand mining in Gautam Buddh Nagar district in Uttar Pradesh.
The committee, headed by Dr Saroj, director in the environment and forest ministry, has been asked to submit its report by Friday after ascertaining the “factual position with a view to suggesting further course of action in the matter”.
“Illegal mining has serious environmental and ecological repercussions,” the ministry said, adding, during the last few days, various media reports have been highlighting the menace of alleged illegal sand mining in Gautam Buddh Nagar. Ms Nagpal, a 2010-batch IAS officer, was suspended on July 27 by the UP government ostensibly for ordering demolition of wall of an under-construction mosque.
Seeking to downplay a local intelligence report which said that Ms Nagpal was not present during demolition of the wall, a senior UP minister said inquiry was going on and the truth will come out soon.
“An inquiry is being conducted and the truth will come out soon,” UP minister Brahma Shanker Tripathi told mediapersons in Lucknow.
The local intelligence unit (LIU) report sent to the UP government had claimed that the wall of the under-construction mosque was demolished in the presence of SDM Jewar and that Nagpal, SDM (Sadar), was not at the spot. Both Jewar and Sadar fall under GB Nagar. The Akhilesh Yadav government, which has drawn flak for the suspension, has refused to revoke its decision and chargesheeted the officer.
Besdies the LIU report, the district magistrate, GB Nagar had stated in his report to the state government that Ms Nagpal had not got the wall of any religious place demolished.
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