Illegal Mining was Taking Place on a Large Scale in the State: Kumari Selja

By Samachar Vishesh News

Chandigarh 03^rd December:- Haryana Congress State President and Rajya Sabha MP Kumari Selja raised the issue of illegal mining in Haryana in the winter session of Rajya Sabha today.

Kumari Selja said that illegal mining was being carried out across the country. In 2018-19, 1,15,492 cases of illegal mining were found and these were increasing manifold. Cases of illegal mining are increasing due to lack of strict laws. NGT has ordered if any vehicle is found involved in illegal mining, it should be confiscated and released only after charging 50 per cent of the ex-show room price of that vehicle. But till date, no vehicle has been confiscated under this provision.

Referring to the CAG Report on mining in the Haryana Legislative Assembly, she said it has been found in the CAG report that illegal mining was taking place on a large scale in the state. According to the report, mining contractors have been found exploiting minerals in double or more mining areas. Even the course of flow of river has been diverted due to illegal mining. The boundary of the dam has been altered and illegal bridges have been constructed. The CAG report found that mining contractors have been causing loss to the revenue by tapping minerals in double the area actually sanctioned. If it is so happening in all 95 mining areas as  is likely a loss of more than Rs 5000 crore annually was being caused to the public exchequer. 

She said that a scam  of this magnitude cannot happen without the connivance of the administration and the government. When the government has satellite imagery, how a scam of thousands of crore is taking place. She demanded that investigation of this illegal mining scam should be got conducted by a sitting judge of the High Court.