Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Feb 17: Unearthing a big scam the mining contractors of Kathua today alleged that State Government has suffered the loss of several crores through the hands of the Mining Department officials who were in nexus with a private contractor of Punjab in Kathua district.
While addressing the media persons the mining contractors led by Kamal Deep Singh gave details about the nexus operating in Ravi river mining and exposed that how the District Mining Department put the State exchequer to a loss of several crore.
He said that the department has not deposited any revenue of royalty in Government treasury collected during the last six months against the mining in Ravi river. Though, it has collected a huge amount of revenue with the help of Mining Contractor, Mohan Paul Singh of neighboring State of Punjab.
He said that the scandal came to fore when a Punjab based stone crusher operating in Ravi river submitted the GST returns and declared the royalty paid to J&K against extraction of material from Ravi river up to month of January 2018 and showed the receipt of Royalty on the name of Mohan Paul Singh Pannu .
He said when the Pathankot Deputy Commissioner came to know about the matter and inquired about the issue of receipt from Kathua administration, the issue of illegal mining and issuing of receipt with the consent of District Mining Department came into light. The stone crushers are running regularly despite the State Government banning the extraction of sand and stones from the river. The electricity bills also confirmed the running of stone crushers in Ravi basin. But the money collected on the name of revenue was not deposited in Government treasury, he added.
He said that Deputy Commissioner Pathankot also made contact with Kathua administration and asked them to inquire the matter of alleged scam. The Pathankot administration also started the investigation into the matter on its own, he added.
Singh pointed out that when the contract of Mohan Pal Singh Pannu was cancelled by J&K State Government vide Government Order No 129-IND of 2016 dated 24-6-2016 and he was debarred from extracting material in village Kedyan Gandyal over an area of 19.942 hectares of land then how he could collect the royalty from the stone crushers and how the Mining Department authorized him to collect the money.
He said Mohan Pal Singh was regularly collecting the royalty and he has collected the royalty under the latest receipt No 50051 on 10-1-2018 which also bears the signature of District Mineral Officer, Kathua who is officer incharge.
Singh has appealed the Government to initiate vigilance inquiry into the matter to ascertain the facts and punish the guilty putting the State exchequer to a heavy loss. Besides, the corrupt officers may put behind the bars, he added.
He also demanded that the auction of 22 blocks of Kathua district which was postponed last month be started. Among others Arun Choudhary, Mandeep Singh, Pawan Deep Singh and Balbir Singh were also present in the press conference.
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