3 Officers suspended by Uttar Pradesh authorities after
Continuing with its legacy of breaking exclusive stories on a variety of pressing and relevant issues, News18 India’s has done an expose on the unauthorized mining activities that are still being carried out in Uttar Pradesh.
The channel’s undercover team of reporters contacted the mining mafia involved in illegal mining activities in the Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh who revealed how they are hand in gloves with many state officials as well as the police and how these corrupt officials help them in facilitating these unlawful mining operations.
News18 India’s team went to the SDM office & police station and caught officials red-handed on their spy camera asking for money in lieu of granting permission for mining. The officials disclosed that there is a rate card for undertaking such operations. If the mining is legal, the officials ask for anywhere between Rs. 8000 to 10000 and if the activities are illegal, then the bribery amount increases upto Rs. 15,000.
Following the telecast of the story, authorities in Mirzapur suspended Hari Prasad, Stenographer, SDM; Narendra Singh, Station In-charge; Bhuvneshwar Pandey, SHO and ordered necessary action against K.P. Singh, CO who were seen in the sting operation admitting their involvement of illegal activities in mining.
Shrikant Sharma, Energy Minister in the UP government said that that they have taken cognizance of the issue and that in view of the sting operation conducted by the channel, the government will take appropriate action against the culprits.
On the other hand, UP Congress Chief Raj Babbar has said that while the mining mafia are active in the state like before only the faces have changed. He complimented News18 India for exposing the ground reality.