Dadam gram panchayat demands outstanding dues from mining firm

The gram panchayat of Dadam village, located in Tosham subdivision of Bhiwani district, has been waiting for its share of the royalty earned by the mining leaseholder for the mining zone in their village for the past six years. The mining firm currently owes the panchayat a total of Rs 62.49 crore, including principal and interest.

Rs 62.49 cr total dues

As of now, the village panchayat claims that the firm owes Rs 45.91 crore in principal, along with an additional Rs 16.58 crore in interest.

Sarpanch Bijender Singh said the gram panchayat has repeatedly raised the issue with the district administration. "I wrote a letter to the Block Development and Panchayat Officer about a month ago, urging the district authorities to ensure the payment of the dues," he said.

The Haryana Government had leased the mining rights to the firm in February 2019 for the mining zone in Dadam village, located at the foothills of the Aravallis. However, the panchayat alleged that the firm has not made any payments to date. According to the terms of the lease, the mining firm is required to pay 10% of the royalty to the gram panchayat in annual instalments. In case of non-payment, the principal amount is subject to interest at the rate of 12%.

As of now, the village panchayat claims that the firm owes Rs 45.91 crore in principal, along with an additional Rs 16.58 crore in interest. Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO) Vinod Kumar from Loharu confirmed that he had received the letter from the gram panchayat of Dadam. He said the issue had been discussed during the recent District Mine Committee meeting, which was chaired by the Deputy Commissioner.

The mining operations in the Dadam mining zone were banned by the state government on May 2, 2022, following two fatal accidents that claimed the lives of seven workers in January and April 2022. Investigations revealed that the mining firm had violated safety norms by overexploiting the mining zone and creating deep trenches. The firm was subsequently booked by the Bhiwani police for illegal mining and violation of safety regulations that led to the workers' deaths.

Sarpanch Bijender Singh stressed the urgency of receiving the dues to fund various development projects in the village, including improving the water supply system. He also pointed out the lack of essential services, stating that the village does not have a government hospital or a veterinary hospital and only has a middle school.