Online portal to help ‘curb illegal mining’ in Himachal Pradesh

Shimla, March 13

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today said that an integrated online portal would be developed to regulate mining activities in the state and also streamline procedures.

He said that to curb illegal mining and boost revenue, the government had recently approved a new Mineral Policy for 2024. “The Mineral Policy-2024 will promote sustainable mining practices and increase employment opportunities for the people of the state,” he added.

He said that the new mining policy emphasised on the use of scientific and mechanical techniques for the extraction of mineral wealth while ensuring adequate safeguards for the preservation of the environment and the ecology. “The policy will ensure transparent and efficient governance and the government will recruit 80 mining guards in the Department of Industries for the effective implementation of the policy,” he added.

Sukhu said, “The policy underscores our commitment to maximising revenue while taking action against illegal mining and safeguarding the mineral wealth of the state, besides fostering a conducive environment for the extraction of mineral assets using scientific means.”

The Chief Minister said that the government’s efforts to generate revenue from its existing resources were yielding positive results and additional Rs 2,200 crore had been generated. The auction-cum-tender process adopted for liquor vends were paying off well to add to the revenue of the state, he added.

“The government will continue such auctions of liquor vends in future, building on the success of previous initiatives,” he said.