Srinagar, Aug 29: Men and women in Nagabal Tulihalan village of South Kashmir’s Shopian district staged a strong protest on Friday late evening after authorities seized around a dozen tractors on charges of their alleged involvement in illegal mining.
Eyewitnesses said scores of villagers, including women, assembled in the locality and blocked the road, demanding immediate release of their vehicles. The protesters alleged that the tractors were not caught at any mining site but had been parked within residential premises when officials seized them. “It is unheard of that parked tractors are being lifted and branded as part of illegal mining activities. These vehicles were not ferrying sand or bajri,” the agitated residents told the news agency Kashmir News Trust.
The villagers further claimed that during his recent visit to several Shopian villages, Deputy Commissioner Shopian had directed the Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO) to seize tractors allegedly linked with extraction and transportation of sand and gravel. They said the latest move has left many families distressed as these tractors are their only source of livelihood.
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Meanwhile, an official, when contacted, said the action has been taken strictly in accordance with law. “These tractors are being used for illegal mining and transportation of construction material. The seizure is part of a wider crackdown against such practices,” the official maintained.
The protest was still going on in the village when this report was filed. (KNT)
