Poor collection of revenue from the mining sector in Nainital district in the current financial year has left the State Government worried.While the State Government received Rs55 crore as revenue from the mining sector during the Financial Year 2013-2014 just Rs28.98 crore has been received from the same sector so far the Financial Year 2014-2015 in Naintal district, the officials concerned of the Nainital district administration said.
Delay in opening of the Gola riverbed in Haldwani for collection of the riverbed materials has been attributed to the poor collection of revenue from the mining sector, the officials maintained. More so, the process of collection of riverbed materials from the Dabaka and Koshi rivers in the district has not yet been started this year, adding to the poor revenue flow from the mining sector in the district. Apart from the delay in starting mining process, illegal collection of riverbed materials is also one of the major factors leading to the poor state of recovery of revenue from the mining sector here.
Cancellation of nine mining leases in Haldwani’s Jamrani-Amritupr area by the district administration, Nainital, recently on charge of illegal mining, suggests the serious proportions of illegal mining in the district have assumed. It may be recalled that during the raids conducted by Harish Dhami, chairman of the Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation (UFDC), in the Gola riverbed earlier this month, as many as 14 vehicles were found carrying 35 quintal riverbed materials illegally. Dhami did not rule out the possibility of about 300 vehicles being used in the illegal collection of riverbed materials from the Gola river.
Expressing concern over the illegal mining activities, he asked the officials concerned to install CCTVs at all sensitive points so that illegal collection of riverbed materials could be prevented and action could be taken against the culprits.But despite these occasional raids, the enforcement agencies have been able to collect only Rs6.15 crore as penalty from those involved in illegal mining activities so far in this district, though the officials concerned have claimed that the process is on to collect Rs10 crore more by way of fine.
Deepak Rawat, District Magistrate, Nainital, has asked the officials concerned to initiate soon the process of recovery of Rs10 crore as penalty from those who were found indulging in illegal mining. Mention worthy, the collection of riverbed materials generally starts from October first week in the region. But this season, the process started in the end of November 2014. Collection of riverbed materials not just provides a livelihood option to thousand of labourers and traders but comes as a source of huge revenue in terms of royalty for the State Government.
