The Mining Department has issued a recovery notice of Rs 34 lakh to the landowners, whose land was attached by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), but illegal mining was still happening on that.The action was taken after the matter was reported by The Tribune.Nangal SDM Sachin Pathak said a recovery notice of Rs 34 lakh had been issued to owners of land on which illegal mining was happening at Khera Kalmot village. In case the landowners fail to deposit the money, an FIR would be registered, he said, adding that a 15-day notice has been issued to violators.Villagers claimed that mining was done at night on a hill that was attached by the central agency in connection with a money laundering case.Residents living near the attached property alleged that tippers laden with excavated material frequently passed through kutcha roads close to their homes, causing severe inconvenience and raising safety concerns.According to documents, the land in question was first attached by the ED in 2022 as part of its probe into illegal mining proceeds.Locals said enforcement on the ground had been weak, allowing operators to continue extraction of sand under the cover of darkness.Pathak said the demarcation of the land attached by the ED had been carried out. “Pillars have been installed as landmarks on the properties attached by the ED. Revenue officials have been directed to conduct regular inspections,” he said, adding that an inquiry would be initiated into the fresh allegations of illegal mining. The controversy came in the backdrop of a recent crackdown by the ED on illegal mining networks in Punjab. In one of the largest such actions in the region, the central agency attached 250 kanals across Ropar, Hoshiarpur and Ludhiana districts under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The attachment order was issued on October 17, 2025.The ED’s action followed an FIR registered by the Nangal police on October 17, 2023, which exposed large-scale illegal mining in the Swan and Sutlej riverbeds of Ropar district. Based on the FIR, the ED initiated its investigation and formally registered a PMLA case on February 14, 2024.The attached properties are spread across multiple locations, including Nangal and Nurpur Bedi in Ropar, Garshankar in Hoshiarpur and Machhiwara in Ludhiana.While the registered value of the land is estimated at Rs 4.10 crore, officials indicated that the actual market value is significantly higher.According to the ED, the accused failed to establish legitimate sources of income for acquiring these assets. Investigations revealed that proceeds from illegal mining were routed through fake GST invoices and fabricated mining slips to portray them as lawful earnings.Nasib Chand, identified as a key accused, in his statement to investigators, admitted to paying a daily “royalty” of Rs 38,000 to mining contractors for conducting both legal and illegal extraction. He also confessed to collecting similar amounts from other stone crushers to allow mining without proper documentation.The accused were charged with purchasing properties in the names of employees to conceal ownership.The ED has maintained that the attached assets were directly or indirectly derived from proceeds of crime, with the accused unable to provide documentary proof of legitimate earnings.Officials believe the action could pave the way for a broader crackdown on illegal mining networks operating in Punjab’s riverine and border areas.Meanwhile, the fresh allegations from Khera Kalmot village have raised questions about enforcement gaps, even as the authorities promise an inquiry into the ongoing illegal mining activities.