Mining Agreements: Panchkula Municipal Corporation to recover royalty from contractors

Sanjay Bumbroo

Panchkula, May 21

The Municipal Corporation (MC) has decided to issue notices to contractors to recover royalty for mining on its land.

The Mining Department had given permission to private contractors for mining on about 30 hectares in Jaloli, Alipur and Naggal villages falling under the MC jurisdiction.

According to the rules, the contractor has to deposit 10 per cent of the contract amount as royalty with the civic body. The contractors were allotted the contract for mining on May 19, 2021, but even after a year, they have not deposited the royalty.

Mayor Kulbhushan Goyal today directed officials to initiate steps for collecting royalty in coordination with the Mining Department. He said if the royalty was not deposited, the mining activity by the contractor concerned would be stopped.

Assistant Town Planner MP Sharma, after holding a survey and details from the Mining Department, has sent a file to the MC Commissioner for issuing notice to the contractors. The MC has to recover mining royalty to the tune of Rs 29.55 lakh.

Under the Haryana State Minor Mineral Concession Storage, Transportation of Minerals and Prevention of Illegal Mining Rules, 2012, any person can take the mining contract after paying advance dues and royalty and other fee to the Mining Department. If a person does not take such permission from the department, then the mining activity was considered illegal.