The Nainital district administration or for that matter officials concerned of the Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation (UFDC) seem to have only defied the State Government’s emphasis on installing CCTVs to check illegal mining in the region.
Expressing concern over absence of CCTVs from the exit points along the Goal riverbanks in Haldwani as came to light during raids conducted by Harish Dhami, chairman of UFDC, in January last, he strictly asked the officials concerned to install CCTVs on all sensitive points so that illegal collection of riverbed materials could be prevented and action could be taken against the culprits involved in such illegal mining activities. But it is quite surprising that even after the aforesaid January month’s order of the chairman of the UFDC, Dhami, the officials concerned have not been able to install CCTVs to curb illegal mining activities so far.
Now keeping in view the illegal mining as the ongoing anti-mining operation suggests, the district administration Nainital has directed officials now to install CCTVs in mining areas in Gola Nandhaur, Koshi and Dabka river banks in Nainital district within 20 days. Emphasising on the need to install CCTVs in all sensitive points in mining areas in 20 days, Deepak Rawat, District Magistrate, has also asked the officials to conduct raids on regular basis to curb illegal mining. Strict action would be taken against those officials concerned who failed to install the CCTVs in the mining areas within 20 days, he asserted.
The fact of the matters is that whereas illegal mining activities are on in different parts of the region, poor collection of revenue from the mining sector so far this year in the district is not less concerning for the Government. Recovery of less revenue in terms of royalty from the same mining sector so far this financial year only gives that impression. While the State Government received Rs 55 crore as revenue from the mining sector during the financial year 2013-2014, only about Rs 28.98 crore has been received from the same sector so far this financial year
2014-2015 in Naintal district , as the officials concerned of the Nainital district administration said. Apart from proving a source of revenue for the Government, the mining trade also provides a livelihood options for a huge work force including labourers, vehicle owners. However, concerned with increasing anti-mining operations, mining lease holders of the region are of the view that ‘wrong polices’ of the Government have given rise to illegal mining.