Haldwani (News Trust of India) : In the precinct of the mining domain along the Gaula River, the Nainital administration has invoked Section 144, extending a radius of 100 meters. The rationale behind this regulatory step is the unscrupulous acts of certain antisocial characters blocking the mining clearance process at the gates along the Gaula River. Apprehensions loom large that these ingredients may trigger unrest, forcing the administration’s invocation of Section 144 as a preventative measure.
The problem facing the district administration and government in Haldwani focuses upon the ongoing conflict among mining traders. Despite persistent conversations between the administration and players in the mining sector, conflict prevails, resulting in a large revenue loss going into crores of rupees due to the impeded mining activities.
A directive has been published, embodying the enforcement of Section 144 in the Gaula mining sector. The sub district officer, Paritosh Verma, has taken this move to address the blockages produced by demonstrators at the 11 mining clearance gates along the Gaula River. This regulatory imposition attempts to foil any barrier to the ongoing mining activity at these gates.
Under the ambit of Section 144, the SDM , Paritosh Verma, stipulates that within a 100-meter radius of all the exit gates along the Gaula River in Haldwani, no gathering exceeding five individuals is permissible without prior authorization from the district magistrate, additional district magistrate, or other relevant regional magistrate. Public congregations and meetings inside this defined region require official permission.
The prohibition under Section 144 applies to the possession or use of implements such as sticks, batons, or weapons within the specified zones. The unauthorized use of loudspeakers is specifically forbidden, as is the propagation of rumors or distribution of leaflets. Furthermore, actions with the potential to promote communal or political division are severely forbidden within these defined regions.
Stringent legal consequences await those who break Section 144, including any attempts to disrupt communal harmony or imperil law and order. The administration underlines its commitment to taking legal action against any individual found in violation of these established regulations. Against the backdrop of the continuous protest by mining businesspeople over the past two months, the district administration has implemented Section 144 in anticipation of a big rally by mining stakeholders, along with their families, in Haldwani.
