Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday warned that those linked with drug peddling, illegal crushers, unauthorised mining, or land encroachment would not be spared, regardless of their influence or perceived public support.

Jitendra Singh was speaking after holding a public durbar in Kathua where the authorities have in the recent past arrested several persons engaged in illegal quarrying and confiscated their trucks.

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The Minister said that no one has the right to engage in illegal mining and erode the foundation of our precious bridges like Keediyan Gandyal. Similarly, he stated that no one has the right to earn ill-gotten wealth by turning others’ children into drug addicts, as such actions could also impact their children in the future, he added.

He stated that illegal mining and drug abuse is a vicious cycle that facilitates terrorism and other social evils. “Exemplary and punitive action will be taken against those indulging in these crimes, irrespective of their political affiliations or so-called influence,” he warned. The Minister informed that the local administration has acted against 25 illegal crushers, and a fresh list of nearly a dozen of such crushers is being prepared to take strict action against them as per the law.

The Union Minister assured that all possible steps are being taken to deal with rising terror incidents in order to restore people’s confidence and public order. He stated that these steps will bear fruit soon, and normalcy will return within a week.

While warning the local terror facilitators of stern action, Dr Jitendra Singh urged the society to remain vigilant and join the government’s efforts to deal with the menace of terrorism in the region. He said the VDCs are being strengthened to fight terrorists.

He flagged the increasing incidents of cattle smuggling in the area, vowing to deal with the crime with an iron hand. The Union Minister rued that the drug menace has spread its tentacles from Punjab to Katra, bringing infamy to the holy city. He urged the local citizens to wean away their wards from the menace in order to secure their future. The Union Minister also drew attention to the problem of land encroachment and warned that no one will be spared if found guilty of the crime.

The Union Minister stated that the journey of development undertaken by the Modi government has transformed the landscape of the Udhampur-Kathua-Doda Parliamentary constituency in the last ten years. “Milestones of development can be seen at every two kilometres of the constituency,” he said.