Farmers in Uttar Pradesh are now exempt from obtaining permission to extract clay for private use from their own fields.
The decision has been taken in view of complaints of farmers regarding extortion and harassment in this regard.
It is noteworthy that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had recently expressed his dissatisfaction and had also given strict instructions to officers to take stern action against those harassing farmers and engaged in clay mining.
The step has been taken in response to the complaints from farmers in various districts of the state after the chief minister had abolished the royalty on general soil mining to prevent harassment of farmers and illegal extortion for private use of soil from their own fields.
Additionally, the requirement of obtaining permission from the Geology and Mining department had also been eliminated. Clear instructions have been issued to the relevant departments, district administration and the police regarding this change.
Secretary, Geology and Mining department, Roshan Jacob, said that farmers should only apply for soil mining through the Mine Mitra portal.
“Following the directions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the royalty on general soil mining has been reduced to zero. Consequently, the requirement for farmers to obtain permission from the department for soil mining for their private use has also been eliminated,” she said.
Jacob further said that changes had been made in the rules to ensure transparency in soil mining and the Mine Mitra portal had been launched for this purpose.
Farmers are now required to apply for soil mining up to a depth of 100 cubic metres solely through the Mine Mitra portal. After registration, mining and transportation are automatically authorised.
Jacob also issued explicit orders stating that the local police and Dial UP 112 police personnel must obtain permission from the district magistrate and be present for the inspection of any legal/illegal transportation of soil or sand. Additionally, several other instructions have been issued by the department to ensure transparency.
Mentioning the quantity of soil is essential in the work order. She said: “As per the chief minister’s instructions, the marking and demarcation of gates for approved areas for soil mining should be done correctly. Additionally, signboards should be installed indicating the boundaries. It should be ensured that mining is carried out as per the departmental demand issued by the responsible agencies such as the Public Works Department, and Irrigation and Rural Engineering departments, development authority/municipal body.”
Similarly, it is necessary to mention the quantity in the work order issued by the executing agencies for the supply of ordinary soil. Moreover, the supply of ordinary soil should be done only at the specified location mentioned in the transport permit.
Farmers can apply on the Mine Mitra portal for mining/transportation of ordinary soil from their own land for personal use. Prior to registration, farmers will need to create a login by providing their name, address, and mobile number. After logging in, the form will be displayed, which must be filled with the applicant’s name, mobile number, quantity of ordinary soil as per land records, purpose of mining, and complete details of the applied mining area, including district, tehsil, village, plot number, and destination location.
It is mandatory to fill in the information mentioned in point number three and submit the application. Subsequently, the farmer will receive the self-generated registration certificate from the portal. The registration certificate will be considered valid as the transport permit and the validity of the certificate will be two weeks.