Transportation of sub-minerals delayed

Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, February 19

Transporters are facing problems of livelihood for the last three days due to stoppage of transportation of sub-minerals from the Sharda riverbed at Tanakpur in Champawat district. The transporters’ association of sub-minerals at Sharda in Tanakpur subdivision has appealed to the government to end the deadlock in the transportation of sub-minerals from the riverbed.

The deadlock started after the introduction of the new system of e-permit for the exit of minerals from the riverbed from February 6. The state government is losing over Rs15 lakh every day as royalty from sub-minerals extracted and transported from the Sharda.

The Mining Department introduced the e-permit system from February 6 at all rivers in the state from where sub-minerals are transported.

“Due to the deadlock and delay in registration under the e-permit system by the mining division of the Forest Corporation, neither extraction of minerals is being done nor they are being transported, resulting in losses to transporters and the government as well,” says Yogi Juyal, president of the Shaktiman Truck Association, in Tanakpur.

According to Forest Corporation officers, they have already applied for the e-permit registration to the Mining Department and are hoping to get a login ID and password by Monday. “We have sent a messenger to the office of the mining officer in Pithoragarh district to get the login ID and password. We hope to get normal working from Monday,” says Harish Pal, mining in charge on Sharda riverbed.