The Industrial Development Department has made it mandatory to install GPS in all vehicles used for mineral transportation. Also, GPS (Global Positioning System) and weighing machine will be linked with the departmental e-Ravanna portal of the Directorate of Geology and Mining. This will keep the data of all vehicles with the department. Vehicles without valid e-Ravanna and moving on other routes than the prescribed route will be considered illegal. Vehicles that do not have GPS and do not have clear numbers on the front and back will be fined Rs 5 lakh by taking action against stone crushers, screening plants, retail storekeepers and license holders providing sub-minerals.
Mining work will start in all districts from October
Mining work will start in all districts of the state from October 1. Complaints of illegal mining in rivers have also been coming continuously. Prevention of illegal mining has emerged as a big challenge. Complaints such as large-scale haphazard mining outside the designated area for mining in rivers, transportation of sub-minerals in multiple rounds through a single route are common. While the government is losing revenue due to this, the large pits dug for mining in rivers and unscientific mining are also increasing the risk of floods. In view of all this, in the year 2019, on the instructions of the government, the administration directed the mining department to install GPS in all such vehicles, which are being used for transportation of mining material. The objective was stated that the department will have complete information about when the vehicles are leaving the mining lot and where they are going. However, due to various reasons, this process could not take off.
Now the government has once again amended the Uttarakhand Minerals (Prevention of Illegal Mining, Transportation and Storage) Rules. In the order issued by Secretary Industrial Development, Mining BK Sant, it has been clarified that it will be mandatory to install GPS in all vehicles used for transportation of minerals. It will be mandatory to clearly display the vehicle number etc. on the front and back of these vehicles. Action will be taken against those who do not do so.
