Taking cognizance of media reports about illegal mining prevailing in the State, Chief Minister Harish Rawat has categorically instructed officials to take effective steps to check such mining. Now onwards, if a person wants to lift soil from their soil, he will not have to seek prior approval from the department concerned. "To check illegal mining, you identify the mining place and licence holders and deploy enforcement and survillance system as well. You make sure that mining should be transparent," the CM Rawat said while reviewing the mining department's work at Bijapur guest house on Thursday. "You also decentralise the work of the executive agency," he said. For this, the CM has constituted a committee led by chief secretary and other two members are Additional Chief Secretary Rakesh Sharma and Principal Secretary to CM SS Sandhu. He instructed the committee to have a meeting with Dehradun, Haridwar and Udhamsinghnagar District Magistrate and SSP to establish fullproof and effective mechanism to check mining mafia. They have been empowered to have detail study on how to check the illegal mining mafia. "You make sure that State revenue from mining should not hamper but mining should be conducted within the specified area, which were allotted through open bidding. You also make amendments in the procedure for allotment of Mining permission on private land. It should be clear that whichever farmers' land get destroyed due to silt will be given compensation by the State."
Removal of debris or silt will be done by the state government's appointed agency. Its decision will be taken by the committee led by chief secretary only.
"Now onward if anyone digs out soil from their private land then they will not have to seek prior permission from mining department. You also make sure that no silt or mines should be stored at the embankment of rivers because such activity promote illegal mining. You also open vendor shop at department level so that mining material should not get wasted. Now onward only licencee can have storage of mining material." The CM expressed disappointment over the report about illegal mining despite making an effective executive agency.
He also instructed them to take cognizance on the public complaints and fix accountability of the concerned executive agency. "While allotting the tender you must take photographs of the identified place and display the name of the licence holder as well. You also make sure that the licence holder should not misuse their permission limit. It has been noticed that the licence holder gets permission for designate place, but they do illegal mining in and around the permissible area. For this, you strengthen you survillance system and if required, you employ third party for monitoring," the chief minister said.
"You also make arrangement for the intensive search operation and fix the accountability of local police officer as well. Besides it, Special investigative team (SIT) would
continue their job," he said.
Forest development corporation (FDC) was asksed to expedite the process of allotment areas for mining. "To procure timely permssion from the Union Government, you establish better coordination with the Union forest and environment ministry. The FDC also focuses on nullah which flow through forest areas, you do its treatment wherever it required. If mining is required as part of treatment, give permission for mining. It has been noticed that these mines are damaging flora and fauna of the areas."
Forest department was asked to make detail report about loss of forest due to mines to the union environment and forest ministry so that they will give permission for mining to save the forest.
To review the flood safety work, which are being or were being executed in Haridwar district, chief minister Rawat has asked them to place sand back on the embankment to protect the nearby villages and land. For this MlA Kunwar Singh Champion has been assigned to take a stalk of the current situation and will have to submit recommendation about how to save our agriculture land from erosion. He will go along with irrigation department officials and department concerned. On the basis of their report, the Government will take appropriate action on priority basis.
During meeting MlA and Uttarakhand State Mining Development council chairman Kunwan Pranav Singh Champion, Chief secretary Subhash Kumar, Addional Chief secretary Rakesh Sharma, Principal Secretary to CM SS Sandhu, Principal Secretary Forest Ranbir Singh, PCCF SS Sharma, MDDA vice chairman
R Meenakshisundarm and other officials were present.