CPI (M) leader Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami on Friday said that the small and marginalised labourers and contractors, associated with the rural development department have been badly affected by the highhandedness of the mining department as a result the projects affiliated with rural development have badly hampered.
He said, J&K is blessed with abundant deposits of minor mineral resources, masonry stones, sand, boulder, bajri and clay but the administration has failed to carve out a solution of peoples led and peoples owned approach so that people of Jammu and Kashmir are the actual beneficiaries of these resources.
“Of course, the JK administration in February 2021 came up with a new set of rules known as Jammu & Kashmir Stone crushers / Hot & Wet Mixing Plants Regulation Rules 2021, which stands contrary to people’s aspirations”, he said.
Administrative Council (AC), that met in Srinagar on July 18th 2021 under the chairmanship of the then Lieutenant Governor, G C Murmu, approved the amendment of J&K Minor Mineral Concession, Storage, Transportation of Minerals and Prevention of Illegal Mining Rules, 2016. Through that amendment, the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI’s) were supposed to get mining permits on land up to 1 hectare (20 kanals), till 30th September, 2021. It also exempted PRIs from payment of advance royalty to the Geology and Mining Department before commencing mining.
Tarigami said, “The decision was aimed at empowering PRIs to raise funds through mining surpluses and address shortage of key construction material in the local market, besides keeping a check on their prices. The new rules do not discuss the role of PRIs but instead direct stone crushing and hot and wet-mix plant owners to obtain material from valid concessionaires at the cost of village development.
“Keeping in view the rural development projects as urgent and important, the administration is urged to give due rights to PRIs in mining and have a lenient view towards people directly involved with the rural development projects”, he said.
