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| Officials granting lease for mining under scanner | | | Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Early Times Report
Srinagar, May 4: The officials involved in granting leases for mining has come under the scanner with government directing officials that leases shall be granted following an open auction process after approval from the competent authorities.
There have been reports of illegal mining in various districts of the state. Many of the times it has been found that officials were facilitating the illegal mining in the state.
Now government has taken a serious note over the reports of illegal mining being carried out in the state with officials being hand-in glove with people of illegal mining mafia.
Government has directed officials according to official documents that leases shall be granted following an open auction process after approval from the competent authorities. The official's role has come under the scanner after reports that they were facilitating the people involved in illegal mining in the state.
The documents further says that in respect of river bed mining or mining near a water works, no objection certificate of the Irrigation and Flood Control department be obtained before any modification is made in the original mining plan.
Government has also decided to impose tax on miners for restoration of mining areas and grant mining leases through open auctions unlike the old tendering process.
"Each mineral concession holder in a cluster shall be responsible for implementation of the environment management plan. They will also be responsible for undertaking the phased restoration, reclamation and rehabilitation of land affected by mining operation," the documents said.
For any act of illegal and unauthorized mining, the officer concerned according to documents shall lodge FIR against the person who commit such offences and all the tools equipments, vehicles be handover to the police for further course of action. "Pecuniary penalty and punishment for the offence as provided under Section 21, 23 A and Section 23 B of the Minerals Act 1957."
A senior official said government will penalise and file cases against frequent violators in the areas earmarked for mining. "We won't allow any illegal mining take place and will deal strictly," he said. He said they won't allow any mining on agriculture and eco-sensitive zones. He said new rules have been framed to stop illegal mining and to preserve the environment. "An amount equal to 10 per cent of the royalty paid to the state shall be charged from the mineral concession holder for restoration and rehabilitation works in the mining areas," he said. Earlier, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India has pointed of granting mining leases by Jammu and Kashmir government in protected areas in contravention of Supreme Court orders. Under the new rules, no permission shall be granted to any mineral concession holder unless a mining plan approved under these rules is substituted and approved by the government.
The Director, Mining and Geology Department, has been empowered to constitute committees for identification of mineral blocks having an area not less than five hectares and more than 50 hectares. "No minor mineral concession shall be granted on any land within a distance of 150 meters from the outer periphery of the defined limits of national highway, railway line or state highway where excavation doesn't require use of explosives," say the new rules. |
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