Dehradun, Aug. 23 -- Taking serious note of illegal mining, arms smuggling and violent clashes during recent panchayat polls, the Uttarakhand high court on Friday ordered officials to present a concrete plan of action to restore law and order and safeguard public safety. The court has directed the home secretary and the director general of police (DGP) to present the action plan by September 10, when the matter will be heard again. A division bench of chief justice G Narender and justice Subhash Upadhyay gave these directions while hearing a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) on Friday in connection with the firing incident during district panchayat and block pramukh elections in Nainital on August 14. The bench observed that law and order challenges such as weapon smuggling, illegal mining and poll-related violence were damaging the image of Devbhoomi and undermining public trust. Appearing before the court, home secretary Shailesh Bagauli and DGP Deepam Seth faced stern questions from the bench. The judges remarked that criminals armed with weapons were supporting illegal mining activities across the UP-Uttarakhand border while police and administration had failed to act effectively. They cited incidents, including the firing by a Class-9 student on his teacher in Kashipur and the violence during Betalghat block pramukh polls as evidence of the worsening gun culture. The bench also criticised police investigations for targeting petty offenders instead of reaching the main source of drug cartels, arms smugglers and mining mafias. "The dignity of Devbhoomi cannot be compromised by criminals and smugglers. The state must ensure the safety of its people and public representatives," the court observed. In response, DGP Seth informed the bench that the state's special task force (STF) and police were running a coordinated campaign against drug smugglers and illegal weapon suppliers, often in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Police. He said in recent months, hundreds of arrests had been made, weapons seized, and even an illegal arms manufacturing unit unearthed in Udham Singh Nagar. Action, he added, was also being taken against strongholds of criminal gangs. On the Nainital and Betalghat election violence, the DGP said the government had transferred the probe to the crime branch, criminal investigation department (CB-CID). Nine accused have been arrested, and disciplinary action initiated against officials found negligent. Seeking time, the home secretary assured the court that the government would take action on all the concerns raised. The bench directed both officials to return with a "concrete and actionable plan" by September 10....