Himachal Pradesh aims Rs 500 Crore Mining revenue

Himachal Pradesh aims Rs 500 Crore Mining revenue

Shimla, Dec 20,

Himachal Pradesh Assembly witness ruckus on the issue of closing down of number stone crashers by the Congress Government in the state as opposition staged protest and walkout in the house during the question hours on Wednesday.

In the ongoing assembly session, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced the state government’s ambitious target of generating Rs 500 Crore in revenue this year from mining operations. The focus is on ensuring the recovery of targeted lease amounts from all stone crushers, addressing concerns raised about the closure of several crushers.

Sukhu stated that 22 years of mining leases granted to stone crushers resulted in an annual revenue loss of Rs 80 Crore. The closure of stone crushers was initially due to the recommendations of the National Disaster Management Authority, emphasizing safety and preventing road damage during floods near Pandoh on NH-3.

The Chief Minister clarified that crushers complying with regulations need not fear the government, and operations were temporarily halted to assess compliance. A committee found that many crushers were running without valid permissions, especially those along the Ravi and Beas rivers, posing risks to workers and the environment. Chief Minister said that government would probe the lease plan of the all the stone crushers and would ensure that royalty evasion should not be done. He said that if government would found any one in breach of the provision the government would recover the royalty on every mine lease. He said that Government would not target any mines on the basis of their affiliation however they should have valid documents and fulfill necessary conditions. CM said that there is no shortage of construction material and about 80 stone crashers which have valid documents would resume their operation after December 15 normally.

Former industry minister Bikram Thakur highlighted the necessity for crushers to follow environmental protocols before obtaining mining leases. The government discovered irregularities, with many crushers violating lease plans, resulting in a loss of Rs 170 Crore over a 22-year lease period.

The Minister replied that, on the recommendation of the National Green Tribunal and the directions issued by the Himachal Pradesh High Court, an expert committee was constituted to consider the guidelines and reassess the same in the year 2019. According to the expert committee report, it was found that standards were not adhered to in setting up the stone crushers.

He stated that the joint inspection committee provided a report on site suitability, site appraisal, emission norms, and pollution control measures standards. The committee expressed the opinion that the distance norms of 100 meters prescribed for setting up the crushers should be applied uniformly to all water streams. The distance and location of crushers must be decided after a detailed study covering hydrological soil and water conservation, environmental, hydrological, soil, water conservation, and environmental aspects to avoid sensitive locations, as the impacts of stone crushers are likely to affect the air, water, flora, and fauna.

The Minister said that before compiling the report, the expert committee team visited sites of stone crushers in different parts of Kulu, Mandi, Hamirpur, and Kangra, along the Beas, Hurla Nalah, Sainj, Tirthan, and Uhl, Suketi, BAKKER HAD, Pung had, Kunah, Shukkar, and Maan khad, etc.

The Chief Minister emphasized that political vendetta was not the government’s approach, and compliance with rules would ensure no disruption. He asserted the government’s commitment to recovering the revenue loss, targeting Rs 179 Crore, and generating an additional Rs 500 Crore from mining leases.

Responding to queries, Industry Minister Harsh Vardhan Chauhan projected an expected revenue of Rs 204 Crore by the end of the financial year, surpassing the previous year’s recovery of Rs 241 Crore. The closure of stone crushers, accused of lacking pollution certificates and valid permissions, raised concerns among BJP members, who alleged political bias in captives mining.

Vipin Singh Parmar, a BJP member, revealed that 23 stone crushers were shut down for non-compliance, affecting employment for 5500 people and disrupting construction material supply chains. The Leader of the Opposition, Jai Ram Thakur, criticized the government for hindering construction and development activities due to the surge in stone crusher rates.

The BJP members wants more supplementary query on the issue however speaker did not allowed them to continue raise the same after having detail reply from the chief minister and concerned minister. The opposition members shouted slogans in the house and walked out from the assembly after few minutes in the question hours. However they returned in the  session after the question hours