Just 6 blocks of Tawi, 4 of Chenab auctioned
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 19: BJP Legislator, Vikram Randhawa today alleged that Geology and Mining Department was deliberately not contesting case in the State High Court pertaining to mining activity in river Tawi and warned that if such ban continued for the next few years, the flood fury in Tawi will certainly create havoc in Jammu, like Jhelum did in Kashmir few years ago.
Raising the issue in the Upper House of the State Legislature here today, the BJP member told the House that High Court has banned the mining of gravel, sand and stones from river Tawi in and around Jammu city. He said a nexus within the department and outside is working. They are part of ban and taking indirect benefit of it. He said the officials of G&M are deliberately not contesting the case in the High Court to lift the ban. With the this, the State Government is facing massive revenue loss. The activity is going on calendestinely during odd hours and nexus connected with it, is needed to be exposed.
The Legislator further claimed that if the process like this went on for next few years, the level of river bed will go on rising and the flood in Tawi may cause havoc in the low lying areas of the city and in more than three dozen Tawi island villages of Fallain –Mandal. The areas may perish and the Government must take serious note of it.
Meanwhile, in written reply to the question of another BJP Legislator Surinder Mohan Ambardar, the Minister for Industries & Commerce CP Ganga claimed that no loss to the State exchequer has been caused due to delay in the auction process of minor mining activity in major rivers of the State during past two years.
Giving figures, the Minister claimed that during 2016-2017 a revenue to the tune of Rs 41.86 crore was generated while during this financial year up to December ending 2017, revenue to the tune of Rs 33.51 crore was generated. In district Kathua which had generated revenue of Rs 21 crore during 2016-17, has shown a sharp fall in the revenue and just Rs 3.33 crore revenue was generated up to December ending this financial year.
The Minister claimed that 21 un-auctioned minor mineral blocks still exist in river Tawi and sites from down stream Nagrota village to its end, could not be auctioned as the J&K High Court in its order dated 17-11-2016 has stopped extraction of minor minerals and no illegal mining is taking place. He said during last one year, 11 blocks in rivers Tawi, Chenab and Jhelum have been auctioned. In Tawi 6, Chenab river four and Jhelum one block have been auctioned. The allotment orders shall be issued only after completion of all the formalities, he added.
Responding to yet another question Ganga said that Rs 6.66 lakh have been generated issuing royalty payment receipts to trucks, trailers, tractors and mules who take sand, gravel, stones etc from river Tawi from Kishenpur from April 2017 to December 2017.
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