Illegal mining activity continues
16/10/2019
The mafia dealing with the ‘grey-gold’ has turned so influential that it has not only managed to continue the minor mineral activity in rivers and nallahs, but also forced some officials at the helm of affairs to stall the process of assessment of royalty dues against the ‘bidders’ on account of consuming of minor mineral. Despite scrapping of `illegal contract’ through open tenders granted to a ‘few favourites’ for the river blocks by the Governor’s Administration in entire Jammu and Kashmir during March this year, the `mafia’ is still controlling the mining activity in the State. JOURNEY LINE time and again has been highlighting this issue that this mess is not only in district Kathua, where huge outstanding worth crores have been worked out by the special survey team in the recent past, but in Jammu, Samba, Udhampur, Rajouri, Reasi, Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts as well, the things are not good in the Geology and Mining Department.
A small district like Reasi has worked out the royalty dues worth over Rs 71.65 lakhs against the ‘successful bidder’ by the District Mineral Officer of G&M Department and his team this year, one can guess how much quantum of recovery could be there in Jammu, Samba, Rajouri, Ramban, Kishtwar and Doda. In Jammu district, where royalty dues worth over Rs 2 crores were worked out some time back were lying pending and the same exercise which was going on in other districts to effect recovery from the successful bidders and was stalled for the reason best known to those at the helm of affairs, thus causing huge loss to the Government exchequer. Interestingly, the rates of the royalty of gravel, sand and stones has gone double. Even the rates of material per trolley and tipper have also turned double during past 6-7 months. The general public is being crushed with the additional burden but the `mafia has been given the free hand to fix rates as per their sweet will. In district Jammu, hardly 45 % of the river blocks were auctioned but a `single firm’ had taken control of the 100 % blocks unofficially and their musclemen were collecting royalty illegally from un-auctioned blocks specially in Akhnoor, Khour, Pargwal, Nagrota, Panjgrain, Bajalta and other areas. The same was the position in other districts as well. The department failed to conduct auction in Kathua.
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