Auction done over one year ago, but mining yet to begin in Karnal

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, July 5

Mining is yet to commence in the district even after one-and-a-half year of auctions of the mines spread over 3,895 hectares. Allottees have deposited 25 per cent of the total amount, but to no avail.

Due to this, illegal sand mining is flourishing in the area even as the police have registered several criminal cases and seized many vehicles loaded with illegal sand in a year. This has created shortage of sand and people are finding it hard to get sand at an affordable price.

Sources said recommendations had been made by the Environment Assessment Committee (EAC), but clearance is pending at the Union Ministry level. Without the clearance, the mining cannot commence.

Bharat Wadhwa, a contractor, said they got a green signal from the EAC in March, but the final nod from the Union Ministry was still awaited. Even after paying 25 per cent of the total amount, mining seems a distant dream, he added.

The state Mining Department had auctioned sand mines spread over 3,895 hectares in Karnal district on December 26, 2013, and had fetched Rs 238.31 crore, which was 11 times more than the reserve price of Rs 21.99 crore. 

The district was divided into four units for the auction. As many as 941 hectares of nine villages was auctioned in Unit-I, which had fetched Rs 60.05 crore while 974.10 hectares of nine villages in Unit-II had fetched Rs 52.32 crore. As many as 780.32 hectares of seven villages in Unit-III had fetched Rs 70.10 crore and 1,199 hectares of seven villages in Unit-IV had fetched Rs 56.67 crore.

Another contractor wishing anonymity said he purchased machines worth Rs 2 crore for mining, but the Union Ministry nod was awaited due to which the work was at a halt.