The cases of illegal mining in Uttarakhand have now raised many questions. The officials may not have been able to forget the CAG report released in March 2023. In which CAG had surprised everyone by saying that there was illegal mining of 37 lakh tonnes between the year 2017-18 and the year 2020-21. It was also reported in the report that the government had lost Rs 45 crore in net revenue due to illegal mining during this period. Six months have passed since then, but the situation still doesn’t seem to have changed much. Because, in the records of Mineral Department of Dehradun, only about 40 sub-mineral storage centers are valid. Most of these are present in Vikasnagar area only.
This lawyer had asked for the report
Advocate Vikesh Negi had sought information about the storage centers of district minerals from the Collectorate/Mineral Office. Along with the application, he had also filed the list of sub-mineral storage centers located on 12 different routes of the city. So that their registration status can be known. In response to the RTI application, the Mineral Office gave a list of 40 storage centres, in which the mineral storage centers located on 12 routes were not named.
It is clear that many storage centers like these are being operated illegally. It is not known from where they are bringing the minerals and to whom they are selling them further. In such a situation, the government is facing loss of revenue on a large scale.
Storage centers located on these routes were not found registered.
From Ahuja Sweet Shop to Ambiwala Gurudwara via Fawwara Chowk.
Via culvert number six on Ladpur Save Ring till post office.
Nehrugram Chowk to Mianwala Chowk via Canal Wali Road, Tunwala
From Rampur Road to Nehru Village via Canal Road
Raipur Road to Nathuawala Road Ghoda Factory
Balawala area from Ghoda Factory to Nakraunda
Harrawala to Nakraunda Zero Point
From Rispana Bridge to ISBT
From Bengali Kothi to Doon University
From Bengali Kothi to Mothrowala
Government agency also under suspicion
Due to the large number of illegal storage centers operating in the center city, they are also supplying minerals to government construction agencies. In this situation, government construction agencies allow contractors to use sub-minerals without a pass. Therefore, even royalty is not deposited in such cases. CAG had also caught such incidents and said that government construction agencies gave permission to use 37.17 lakh metric tonnes of material without a pass. Due to which there was a loss of Rs 104.08 crore.
219 mineral material sellers registered in GST
The District Mineral Office may have provided a list of around 40 mineral storage centres, but this figure is much higher. Because, 219 such sellers are registered in GST, who supply materials like sand, grit, stone, gravel etc.
