Taking a serious view of alleged illegal mining activities in areas spread across Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the State of Punjab to examine a Survey of India report identifying nearly 233 sites where illegal mining activities are being carried out. The State has also been asked to take appropriate action against the persons and officers found responsible.For the purpose, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor has set a four-week deadline. “The matter is serious and warrants immediate attention. In view thereof, we call upon the State of Punjab to examine the report dated July 3 of the Survey of India and take appropriate action against the persons/officers found responsible within four weeks from today,” the Bench observed.The directions came during the hearing of a bunch of writ petitions, including a petition filed by Gurbir Singh Pannu in 2012 against the Union of India and others respondents. At the onset, the Bench observed that the petitions concerned alleged illegal mining activities in areas spread across the two Punjab districts.The Bench noted that the affidavit of Punjab Director (Mining) had not been filed despite its order on the previous occasion. It then directed the fling of the affidavit within 48 hours. The court also recorded that it had on the previous occasion permitted the petitioners to implead the Border Security Force (BSF), through its Director, as one of the respondents in the matter. “However, we are informed that as per the report dated July 3 submitted by the Survey of India, nearly 233 sites have been identified where illegal mining activities are being carried out,” the Bench observed.Directing the State to act, the Bench observed that failure to take appropriate action could leave the Court constrained to entrust the investigation to an independent agency. “It is made clear that, in the event appropriate action is not taken forthwith by the officers concerned, their personal responsibility shall be fixed on the next date of hearing,” the High Court added, while fixing the matter for further hearing on November 16.The Bench was, among others, assisted in the matter by senior government counsel Arun Gosain, along with Survey of India counsel Ramandeep Singh Sandhu. Additional Solicitor-General of India Satya Pal Jain appeared for the Union of India.The developments took place on a petition filed in 2012 by Gurbir Singh Pannu. He was seeking auction in a transparent and time-bound manner to curtail illegal mining. Over a period of time, more petitions on the issue were tagged along. Their counsel conjointly submitted during the course of hearing that illegal mining well beyond the prescribed limits was continuing unabated in the riverbeds despite Court orders.It was also submitted that illegal mining had resulted in creation of gorges and ditches especially in the areas of Pathankot and Gurdaspur adjacent to Pakistan border right across the Ravi river seriously jeopardizing the country’s security. It had practically become an entry point for infiltrators and terrorists.