 Early Times Report
Jammu, May 25, 2023 : Amit Sharma, Secretary to Government, Mining Department today vowed for Zero Tolerance against Illegal Mining and towards taking stringent measures against such violators while chairing an important review meeting of the Mining Department at Udyog Bhavan here today. The participants in the Meeting included O.P Bhagat, Director Geology & Mining, Vikram K.Gupta, MD J&K Minerals, Arun Kotwal, Additional Secretary Mining, Joint Directors, District Mineral Officers, Geologists, Mining Engineers and others who attended this meeting through physical as well as virtual mode.
While reviewing the overall performance of the Department over the last few months, Secretary Mining Amit Sharma explicitly issued directions towards imposing heavy penalty against illegal mining and holding a Zero Tolerance policy against such violations.
He cautioned the public against encouraging such illegal practices and rather requested them to become whistle blowers while pin-pointing such wrong doings in the Mining Sector and they should completely desist from taking mining materials without issuance of proper e-Challan and making maximum utilisation of e-Marketplace created by the department for sale and purchase of minor minerals across the UT of J&K.
Amit also reviewed the current status of e-Auctioning of Mining blocks in all districts and issued directions towards maximising revenue targets through royalty, fees, penalties, etc. He told the that there should be maximum efforts for creation of new mining blocks in all districts which should be put at e-Auction through Single Window Clearance. He also mentioned that DMOs are the Nodal Officers of the districts towards creation of Annual Plans for taking-up multiplicity of works under District Mineral Fund Trust and also to ensure creation of requisite infrastructure and implementation of rehabilitation plans which are mandated under DMFT as per local requirements.
Secretary Mining Amit Sharma also placed on record the professionalism exhibited by DMOs while addressing public issues, lessees and all stakeholders‘ concerns, making them aware towards online services and usage of portal towards avail online services of the Mining Department over the last few months.
Before concluding, Secretary Mining Amit Sharma assured that all genuine issues such as provision of vehicular mobility to all DMOs, IT infrastructure and implementation of technology-driven reforms in the mining sector are on the anvil and top priority of UT Government and shall continue relentlessly in times to come. |
