Govt mulls setting up mining checkposts in Chakki area
Plan to enhance govt royalty in legal mining
Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan addresses a press conference in Nurpur on Saturday. Tribune photo
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Our Correspondent
Nurpur, August 3
The state government was committed to checking illegal mining across Himachal Pradesh and necessary directions had been issued to the authorities concerned to curb the practice with an iron hand. Stating this at a press conference here today, Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said the government was working to control the illegal practice and enhance its royalty through legalised mining activity.
He said the government had given clear instructions to the authorities to take a strict action against those indulging in illegal mining irrespective of their political affiliations.
Chauhan said the government had planned to set up a mining check-post in the Swan river in Una district, besides in the Chakki and Beas rivers (in mand area) in Nurpur police district. Besides, funds will be provided to the police department to instal CCTV cameras in the Chakki river.
Asked if there was any proposal to define and demarcate boundaries on the inter-state Chakki riverbed in Nurpur, Chauhan said it was a contentious issue and taking an advantage of the non-demarcated zone, stone crushers from Pathankot in neighbouring Punjab had been carrying out illegal mining in the Himachal area. “The issue of defining boundaries will be taken up with the Punjab Chief Minister and Industry Minister along with revenue authorities of Pathankot district,” he asserted.
It is pertinent to mention that the revenue authorities of Kangra and Pathankot districts had taken up the demarcation of the Chakki riverbed in 2015-16, but the exercise could not be completed.
The minister said the state government had recently amended its mining policy under which mechanical mining with the help of JCB machines had been allowed. The rules were yet to be approved by the Cabinet.
Chauhan said he had been convening meetings with different departments, including mining and police officials, in the inter-state border areas in Una and Nurpur police districts for the past two days to chalk out a plan to check illegal mining and enhance government revenue through legalised mining in the state.
“After the meetings, it has been decided to enhance government royalty in the legal mining in leased out areas to 80 per cent from 60 per cent and make it mandatory for every stone crusher to set up weighbridge within one month. It has also been decided to set up a separate weighbridges on all entry points to the state,” he said. On the closed silk mill at Nurpur, the minister said former MLA Ajay Mahajan had raised the demand to revive this unit of the State General Industry Corporation (GIC). Chauhan said he would explore the possibility of reviving the prestigious manufacturing unit.
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