Bhopal: Rights of sand mining have been withdrawn from the panchayats and handed over back to the State Mining Corporation. This decision was taken in the cabinet meeting held on Monday. The mining corporation will now auction the sand mines. License for sand mines will be given for two years. Excavation by machines will be prohibited for sand mining in river Narmada. No royalty will be charged for sand to be used for government projects, said public relations minister PC Sharma briefing about cabinet decision. State government is expected to earn revenue to the tune of Rs 900 crore from this decision. There are sufficient relaxations for the locals in the new sand mining policy, said Sharma.
Shivraj government has transferred the rights of sand mining to panchayats after complaints of rampant illegal sand mining. The new policy introduced by Kamal Nath government has reversed decision of the previous regime. In other decisions, Bahavantar scheme for onions remains to continue. Proposal to open a government university in Chhindwara too has been approved. Ministers have been given power to transfer class 3 and 4 employees at district level. Moreover, District Planning Committee will now be converted into Zila Sarkar (District Government).
Kamal Nath cabinet also gave approval to proposal for new land pooling scheme. Under MP Industrial Development Land Pooling Scheme private land owners too can add their land to the pool created by the government. They will be paid 50% more than the government rate. It will be introduced as a pilot project at Pithampur industrial area. Implementation of the scheme depends on success of the formula there. Religious places of tribal community will be added in the list of Teerth Darshan Yojna thereby giving tribal people a chance to visit their sacred places. Government has also decided to carry renovation work of religious places belonging to tribal community.
