Bhopal: The complaints of illegal mining remain unabated despite Congress coming to power in the state. The government is going to bring in a new policy on sand mining, considering the complaints. The government intends that the new policy would lead to rise in revenue and also check illegal mining.
In the new mining policy, small mines would be auctioned at Tehsil level. The allotment of big mines will be done at district level through open auctioning. The government has been facing huge revenue loss after assigning the work of allotment of sand mines to Panchayats.
The condition of state Mining Development Corporation is in shambles after authorising Panchayats to allot sand mines. During the tenure of ex- CM Digvijaya Singh, the contracts of sand mining were given janpad-wise. During BJP government, several model of sand mining were adopted.
During BJP government, sand mines were auctioned but it was decided, fearing bad name on illegal mining, to assign the allotment work to panchayats. The government wishes to re-start the arrangement of auctioning of mines in the new mining policy and also to ensure that there is no illegal mining.
There would be ban on porcelain machines in the rivers. Dumpers would not be allowed to go to take out sand from the banks of river. Minister for mineral resources Pradeep Jaiswal has already given presentation on mining policy. Finance minister Tarun Bhanot has also been given details of the revenue, which would be generated after the implementation of new mining policy. Chief Minister Kamal Nath has also asked to put up the mining policy in the cabinet soon so that it could be executed from the new financial year.
