Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 9: PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, J&K Unit has urged the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to keep check on illegal mining mafia operating in J&K and expedite process of environment clearance in favour of bonafide lease holders.
In a press statement issued here today, a PHDCCI spokesman said that Directorate of Geology and Mining have e-auctioned minor mineral blocks in various districts of J&K and these blocks have been allotted to different people through e-auction to highest bidders subject to the approvals of Mining Plan, Environmental clearance and consent to operate/NOC from Pollution Control Board.
The Letter of Intent (LoI) has been issued to miners with the direction to submit approved Mining PIan, Environmental clearance besides, deposition of remaining 50% bid amount and consent to operate within a period of six months, for final grant of Mining lease for extraction of minor minerals (River bed material) from auctioned blocks. It has been clearly directed to them that they shall not extract or allow extraction till the Mining lease under rules is granted.
The banning of mining of minor minerals without compliances and clearances and consent to operate has encouraged Illegal mafia nexus of mining in various districts. The middle class people who are grappling with acute shortage of raw material like sand, stones, gravel etc for construction work are being compelled to buy these materials at exaggerated rates through illegal miners.
It has been observed that due to delay in getting Environmental clearances and Pollution Control Board consent, the illegal mining has now emerged as an organized illegal trade with transportation of raw material throughout the night in dumpers.
“We strongly recommend that the necessary clearances from the Environment and Pollution Control Board should be granted on priority, in order to overcome this menace of illegal mining. The enforcement and monitoring guidelines for minor minerals should be implemented and we suggest for the sale and purchase of minor minerals online to make the process more transparent. In order to curb illegal mining, it is very necessary that the general public should be made aware of the legal source of sand/aggregate/RBM suppliers,” spokesman added.
The UT Government should develop an online portal for sale and purchase of sand/ aggregate/RBM and controlled price list issued by the Government would be more effective in controlling this illegal mining mafia, PHDCCI suggested.
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