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Chhattisgarh government is mooting a plan to simplify the norms at its end for mining sand minerals in a move aimed to bestow relief to the common man.
The conditions put by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) regarding seeking environment clearances, submitting mining plan and making 5 hectare of mine mandatory were not practical, Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh said in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly Friday. This had created hurdles in mining sand in the state, he added.
“The state government had been working on a plan to simplify the norms at its end while giving clearances for the mining of sand minerals,” Singh said. The government’s move would help the contractors seeking clearances for mining that would subsequently help controlling the price that had earlier escalated to Rs 18000 per truck.
The chief minister explained that the state had its own norms that would not suit the conditions put by the tribunal. In Chhattisgarh, the panchayat and the civic body had been powered to collect tax for the local area development.
The state government formulated the norms from April 1, 2006 giving the right for extraction and trading of Sand to the Gram Panchayat/Janpad Panchayat/Muncipal Corporations. The royalty rate fixed for Sand was Rs 20 per cubic meter. The amount of royalty over Sand was directly received by Local Panchayat/Muncipal Corporation.
From June 10 2008 onwards, 25% of revenue received from minor Minerals was re-allocated to Panchayat and Rural Development Department and remaining 75% is re-distributed to respective Panchayat and Municipal Corporation.
Singh said in Chhattisgarh most of the sand mines had been developed in small patches of two to three hectares. Hence, the condition of five hectares was not practical in the context of sand mining in the state, he added.
The state government would also modify its ambitious footwear scheme for the tendupatta collectors. Singh said the women collectors would be provide good quality chappals instead of canvas shoes that the state government had been distributing.
