DM Ashok Kumar Sharma’s Order Defied, GPS Photos Confirm Rampant Illegal Extraction Near Vital Bridges; Public Demands FIR, Action Against Corrupt Officials As Collusion Accused of Fuelling State-Wide Disaster
- District Magistrate Poonch, Ashok Kumar Sharma, JKAS, issued a sweeping prohibitory order (No: DMP/J/9139–43, dated August 20, 2025) banning all illegal mining within 500 meters of rivers and nallahs, only for the directive to be openly and contemptuously defied by the mining mafia, rendering the order a “laughing stock.”
- The District Mining Officer (DMO) Poonch is facing intense public condemnation, accused of turning a “deaf ear” to the blatant violations and alleged large-scale monetary considerations that allowed illegal mining to flourish, even under bridges, directly contributing to the recent flash floods that devastated Poonch and the entire state.
- As vital bridges, installations, residential houses, and government infrastructure suffered immense damage during the recent floods, public faith has been severely eroded, with citizens now demanding immediate and strict action against the DMO and other negligent officers, asserting that the mining mafia, allegedly backed by corrupt officials, appears more powerful than the district administration itself.
HARPREET SINGH
Poonch, September 10, 2025: In a scathing indictment of administrative failure and alleged corruption, the ambitious prohibitory order issued by District Magistrate Poonch, Ashok Kumar Sharma, JKAS, to curb illegal mining has been rendered a mere “laughing stock,” openly defied by a brazen mining mafia whose unchecked plunder is now being directly blamed for the devastating flash floods that recently wreaked havoc across Poonch and the entire state. The District Mining Officer (DMO) Poonch stands at the epicentre of this crisis, facing intense public condemnation for allegedly turning a “deaf ear” to the illegal activities that observers claim flourished openly, even under critical bridges, for monetary considerations.
On August 20, 2025, DM Ashok Kumar Sharma had promulgated Order No: DMP/J/9139–43, a comprehensive directive under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. The order unequivocally banned “any kind of illegal mining, extraction, transportation, or collection of minor minerals (sand, bajri, boulders, stones etc.) within a distance of 500 meters upstream and downstream of all identified sources/rivers/nallahs in District Poonch.” It explicitly warned of penal action, vehicle seizures, and tasked concerned Tehsildars, SDPOs, the District Mineral Officer, and SHOs with strict enforcement.
However, sources confirm that hardly a day after its issuance, the order was reduced to a piece of paper, openly and contemptuously flouted by the mining mafia. GPS-tagged photographs from recent days provide irrefutable evidence of hundreds of tractors engaged in illegal mining activities, operating brazenly across the district, often perilously close to vital installations and bridges.
The DMO Poonch, specifically named in the DM’s order as a key enforcing authority, has come under intense public scrutiny and is now the primary target of public anger. Locals accuse the DMO of exhibiting blatant negligence and, more disturbingly, alleged complicity. “Where was DMO Poonch when natural wealth was being looted by the mafia, despite clear DM orders?” questioned a local resident, reflecting the widespread sentiment. “If sand is being dumped in the open every morning and the DMO claims not to see it, then the DMO is not blind—he is bought,” a farmer from Surankote had previously asserted, capturing the deep-seated suspicion of financial dealings between the mafia and compromised officials.
The consequences of this alleged administrative inaction and corruption have been catastrophic. The recent flash floods, which swept across not only Poonch but the entire state, caused immense damage to vital bridges, critical installations, residential houses, and government infrastructure. Eyewitness accounts and expert observations strongly indicate that the unchecked illegal mining, which had drastically lowered riverbeds and destabilized embankments, was a primary reason why the floodwaters wreaked such havoc. “The truth is that nobody cares, and illegal mining was going on even under the bridges openly, obviously for monetary considerations,” stated a concerned citizen, highlighting the systemic rot.
Public faith in the administration has been severely eroded. There is a palpable demand for immediate and strict action against the DMO Poonch and all other local officers who were expected to enforce the ban but allegedly turned a deaf ear. “People want immediate and strict action against the DMO, local officers expected to stop the illegal mining,” voiced a local. The central question now resonating through Poonch is stark: Is money power more potent than the administration’s authority? “The mining mafia is more powerful than Poonch DM,” is a sentiment now openly expressed by many.
The DM’s order, intended to protect the environment and safeguard public property, now stands as a grim reminder of how unchecked arrogance of criminal mafias, allegedly in connivance with negligent or corrupt officials, can endanger thousands of lives and destroy critical infrastructure. The public is demanding that the District Magistrate Poonch take the “strictest possible action” against the culprits and the involved officials, ensuring they “face the music of the law,” before the eroded faith in governance leads to an even greater disaster.
