Illegal mining activities continue to be on the rise in the Nainital district resulting in poor collection of revenue from the same mining sector this financial year. While the State Government received Rs55 crore as revenue from the mining sector during the financial year 2013-2014, only about Rs28.98 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.
But imposition of fine about Rs11 core by the anti-mining cell during raids conducted at half a dozen stone-crushers in Ramnagar, Kashipur, Bazpur and other areas on this weekend only gives a kind of impression how illegal mining activities are going on in the region. Apart from anti-mining cell's enforcement drive against the people associated with illegal mining activities, Harish Dhami, chairman of the Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation (UFDC), also launched a surprise raids at the Banjari Gate on the Koshi river bank in Ramnagar on Saturday with compounding of five dumpers and more than a dozen bikes used in illegal collection of riverbed materials from the Koshi river belt.
Besides, he also issued order of suspension against two officials of the UFDC and attachment of Divisional logging Manager (DlM) concerned with the UFDC headquarter on charge of carelessness in duty during these raids at the Banjari Gate on the Koshi river bank in Ramnagar. This was second enforcement drive by Dhami against illegal mining in less than a month. He conducted surprise raids on the Gola riverbed in Haldwani on January 18, 2015. During the raids as many as 14 vehicles were found carrying 35 quintal riverbed materials illegally and necessary actions were taken against those who were found indulged in such illegal activities.
More so , soon ater this as many as nine mining leases in Haldwani's Jamrani-Amrtipur area were also cancelled by the Nainital district administration. But the matter of fact is that despite these occasional raids illegal mining activities continue in different parts of the Nainital district unabated.
Though the officials concerned of the Nainital district are attributing less collection of revenue from the mining sector to delay in opening of the Gola riverbed in Haldwani, illegal mining activities seem to be the major reason behind this poor collection of revenue from the same mining sector. Mention worthy, the collection of riverbed materials generally starts from October first week in the region. But this season the same process could be started by November end in 2014. It is not note that the collection of riverbed material work here not only provides a livelihood option to thousand of labourers and traders associated with this activity but also comes as a source of huge revenue in terms of royalty for the State Government.