In a bid to curb illicit mining, the highest-ever annual challan amount was penalised from the Paonta Sahib forest division between March 2023 and March 2024, amounting to a whopping Rs. 51.28 lakhs.
The concerned authorities dedicated their enforcement efforts to register a total of 278 challan cases across four ranges, most of which were from the Paonta range, followed by the Bhagani and Majra ranges. The data also exposed a notable surge in penalties during specific months, with January emerging as the peak period, witnessing a gamut of fines worth Rs 6.75 lakhs from 24 cases.
These penalties were levied under various legal provisions with cases processed predominantly under the Indian Forest Act, 1926, and the Illegal Mining Act. This data is an optimistic representation of the fact that the Paonta Sahib forest division has been working hard to safeguard the environment and uphold the rule of law.
