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| Govt puts mining on hold in JK | | | Muhammad Mukaram
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, June 6: The J&K government has decided to put the mining process in the State on a halt citing there can be no mining till proper plans are framed and put in place.
The move, sources said, is aimed at safeguarding State's rich mining resources. The officials, associated with the mining and especially the Geology and Mining department has been asked to halt mining for some time.
There have been reports of illegal mining. Similarly, there are also reports about illegal mining going in north and south Kashmir and also in parts of Jammu region.
Now the government has directed the officials that no mining lease shall be granted by the competent authorities unless there is a mining plan duly approved under the rules.
"No mining lease shall be granted by the competent authorities unless they are satisfied that there is evidence to show that the area for which the lease is applied for bears occurances of minor mineral or otherwise," the documents of geology and mining department say.
Similarly the officials have been told that no permission shall be granted to any mineral concession holder unless mining plan approved under these rules is substituted and approved by the government.
Earlier, the officials involved in granting leases for mining had come under the scanner. Many of the times it has been found that officials were facilitating the illegal mining in the state.
Government has directed officials according to documents that leases shall be granted following an open auction process after approval from the competent authorities.
Further, the documents say 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.
"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," the documents read.
While according to the new rules, 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.
For any act of illegal and unauthorized mining, the officer concerned according to new rules 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."
"We won't allow any illegal mining take place and will deal strictly," a senior official said. He said they won't allow any mining on agriculture and eco-sensitive zones.
Earlier, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India had pointed of granting mining leases by Jammu and Kashmir government in protected areas in contravention of Supreme Court orders.
"No mining activity shall be carried out in any riverbed below the depth of three meters or the water level, whichever is lesser," the rules said. |
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