Special force to curb illegal mining in UP proposed

The department wants own sleuths to crack down on illegal mining activities, just like transport and excise department have their personnel for such tasks

The Uttar Pradesh mining department has proposed to raise its own force to deal with the menace of illegal mining in the state.

The department wants its own sleuths to crack down on illegal mining activities, just like transport and excise department have their personnel for such tasks and do not depend on the police.

“We have submitted this proposal to the state government. We have also demanded ramping up of our manpower and infrastructure to deal with illegal mining,” UP Geology and Mining Director Bhaskar Upadhyay told Business Standard.

Even as the menace of illegal sand mining in UP makes headlines in the backdrop of the suspension of a woman IAS officer in Gautam Budh Nagar district for taking on illegal sand mining, the  department grapples with acute shortage of manpower and resources for any effective control on illegal mining.

Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Durga Shakti Nagpal, 28, was suspended on Saturday night for allegedly demolishing a wall at a disputed place of worship, which the government claimed had caused communal tension.

However, it is widely believed that Nagpal was punished for taking action against the powerful lobby of illegal sand mining rampant along the Yamuna and Hindon rivers.

The suspension created a lot of heat in the state with the UP IAS Officers’ Association rallying in support of the woman officer, who had dealt sternly with the sand mafia.

Meanwhile, the department has set a revenue target of Rs 954 crore in the current fiscal. The main source of revenue is sand and coal mining royalty and penalties accruing from 440 leases provided to contractors. Last year, the department had achieved revenue collection of Rs 722 crore against the target of Rs 954 crore.

UP has about 4,000 mines of coal, silica, bauxite and granite – mostly in the Bundelkhand region – and private miners are allowed to extract minerals for royalties.

Last year, the state had mandated e-tendering for allotment of mining leases with a view to preventing illegal mining and ushering transparency in allotment of leases.