In a major crackdown on those misusing the e-rawaana system for indulging in illegal mining activities, Haryana Government has ordered suspension of e-transit passes of 20 screening plants and one stone crusher in the state.

A show cause notice has also been issued to them by the government asking why their licences may not be cancelled. The move came after the government recently amended the guidelines to stop misuse of the e-rawaana (e-transit pass) system for mining activities in Haryana.

The State Government had recently restricted the purchase of the minerals from far away states other than adjoining to Haryana. Apart from this, the government had made it mandatory for the registered users on e-rawaana portal to get their purchase of minerals verified from the Mining Department of the concerned state within seven working days and also give an undertaking regarding the supply.

Suspending the e-transit passes of 20 screening plants and one stone crusher in the state, the Department of Mines and Geology, Haryana in an order issued stated, “When e-rawaana portal of following screening plant owners was checked, certain quantity of mineral was found to be purchased from outside the state and the same was not got verified from Mining Department of that state. The purchase seems to be fake. It appears that the screening plant owners are indulged in illegal mining and procurement of minerals is being shown as purchase from adjoining states.”

“It is ordered that e-rawaana of 20 screening plants and one stone crusher are hereby suspended immediately and show cause notices be issued to them as to why their licences may not be cancelled," the order stated.

As per the list of 21 violators issued by the Department, they have offices in Ambala, Yamunanagar and Panchkula.

The e-rawaana system was launched in January 2020 to effectively monitor the movement and sale or purchase of raw and processed minerals from mining sites throughout the state. However, trucks, carrying loads of illegally acquired construction material kept sneaking into Haryana with fake bills showing their purchase from states as far as Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Gujarat among others.

Notably, the Department of Mines and Geology, Haryana had in the month of July identified 63 such units including 38 stone crushers, 23 screening plants/ mineral dealer licence holders and two mineral dealer licence stockist who had entered the purchase of the mineral from far away states in the country and subsequently, generated e-transit pass from their respective departmental portal misusing the e-rawaana system.

All mining contractors, mineral dealer licensees (screening plant owners) and stone-crusher licensees in the state are registered on e-rawaana portal.