Mahendragarh: Mining firms 'fail' to pay rent, relief to gram panchayats

Ravinder Saini

Mahendragarh, October 25

It has come to light that leaseholding firms are allegedly not paying annual rent and compensation to gram panchayats for using their land for mining purposes.

Serving a notice on the firms, gram panchayats of Bayal and Bakhrija have asked them to pay the due amount or face legal action. “There are over 10 villages in Nangal Choudhary, Nizampur and Narnaul blocks of the districts where mining activities are being carried out by private firms on the panchayat land after getting a lease from the government. As per rules, they are liable to pay annual rent and compensation to the gram panchayat concerned,” said an official of the Development and Panchayats Department. He claimed that earlier, 10 per cent of the lease amount was paid to the panchayat, but now, the firms were liable to pay from 2.5-3 per cent of the total annual auction amount fixed by the government.

BJP MLA from Nangal Choudhary Abhay Singh Yadav in a letter to the DC had raised the issue. “Two firms are undertaking mining activities in our village and have to pay Rs 4 crore to the gram panchayat as annual rent and compensation. We have issued notices to the firms,” said Dashrath, sarpanch of Bayal village. Manoj, representative of Bakhrija sarpanch Kela Devi, said the firm had not paid the dues despite being issued a notice. Ashish Mann, DDPO, said he had raised the issue at a meeting of district administrative officials and the BDPOs concerned had urged the mining officer to look into the matter.