Himachal sets up task force to curb illegal mining

Shimla, May 1

The Himachal Pradesh Government has set up a special task force (STF) to keep tabs on illegal mining and review the action taken by member departments at different levels.

The government, in a statement, said illegal mining of sand, gravel and boulders without the payment of royalty or taxes not only resulted in environmental degradation but also caused huge loss to the state exchequer.

“The government is trying to increase revenue through scientific mining. To prevent the evasion of royalty and for simplification of ‘Form W/X’, the same will be linked with m-parivahan portal. Related departments like PWD, Jal Shakti and Pollution Control Board will also be linked with this portal. This will prevent illegal mining and curb revenue loss,” it said.

The government has deployed flying squads at several places along the interstate border. Personnel of the Mining Department are conducting raids during odd hours to check illegal mining in the industrial belts of Baddi, Barotiwala and Nalagarh. Officials are dismantling illegal roads carved out by the mining mafia at the interstate border.

The department has also initiated the process to identify private land being used for the extraction of illegal minerals by locals under the Baddi, Barotiwala and Nalagarh Development Authority area. As soon as the demarcation of this land by the revenue is completed, a higher penalty of up to Rs 5 lakh as per the Himachal Pradesh Minor Mineral Rules, 2015, shall be imposed on those involved in illegal mining activities, it added.