BJP allowed stone crushers to operate illegally, caused Rs 100-crore loss, alleges Himachal CM

PTI

Shimla, November 20

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today alleged that stone crushers were allowed to operate without permission or proper mining lease during the BJP rule, resulting in a loss of up to Rs 100 crore to the Industry Department in the past five years.

Sukhu, while talking to mediapersons, said that a high-powered committee headed by Industries minister Harshwardhan Chauhan had been constituted to look into the matter. The committee had inspected stone crushers in the Beas river basin in Kullu, Mandi, Kangra and Hamirpur districts and found that 63 of 131 stone crushers were running with permission and mining lease.

He said, “All stone crushers with valid permission and mining leases that were closed in the wake of the natural disaster during the monsoon would be allowed to start operations and action would be taken against stone crushers running without permission or proper mining lease.”

He questioned how the previous BJP government “kept its eyes shut” and allowed these crushers to operate, causing revenue loss to the state exchequer.

Sukhu said that more illegal stone crushers could be operating in other districts. In some cases, crushers were being run on generators, causing loss of royalty was calculated on the basis of the consumption of electricity. He added that no stone crusher would be allowed to operate on generators.

He said, “The Industries Department has been asked to allow the resumption of stone crushers with valid permission and a mining lease.” He added, “The Industries Department will identify crushers functioning without a mining lease or whose mining lease has expired or cancelled so that evasion of royalty can be calculated and recovered from them,” he added.

#BJP #Shimla #Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu