MOGA, Nov 3 — What began as a government relief effort for flood-hit farmers has turned into a windfall for illegal sand miners in Punjab’s Moga district. Authorities have launched a crackdown in the Dharamkot subdivision after discovering large-scale misuse of the “Jihda Khet Ussdi Reat” scheme, meant to help farmers restore their fields buried by the Satluj floods.
Under the scheme, the Punjab government allowed affected farmers to remove and sell the excess sand and silt from their land without permits or NOCs until the end of 2025. But according to the Mining Department, the relaxation has become a loophole for unauthorized commercial mining.
At least eight people have been booked in multiple cases, and several others are under investigation. “We have made it clear that any extraction which damages agricultural land or disturbs the soil surface will be treated as illegal mining,” said Deputy Commissioner Sagar Setia.
The administration had identified 29 villages in Dharamkot eligible for the exemption. Yet, checks revealed that some operators were lifting sand from non-notified sites — including commercial pits — under the pretext of flood relief.
During an inspection on October 26, a joint team of police and the district mining department caught four people extracting sand from a commercial site near the Satluj River. Two days later, separate FIRs were filed in Chak Jindra and Chak Taarewala villages based on complaints from Junior Engineer-cum-Mining Inspector Anubhav Singh Sirodia.
Officials say the relaxation has had an unexpected economic ripple. Within two weeks of the scheme’s launch, sand prices in the local market have dropped by nearly 35 percent, easing costs for construction but revealing the massive underground trade.
“The scheme was envisioned for farmer rehabilitation, not for traders or transporters,” said a senior mining official, requesting anonymity. “The sand mafia saw an opportunity — and moved fast.”
Deputy Commissioner Setia said that strict instructions have been issued to all Sub-Divisional Magistrates and the District Mining Officer to ensure extraction is limited to flood-affected fields.
“The district administration will not allow anyone to turn a relief measure into an illegal business,” he said. “Those exploiting the scheme will face strict action.”
