High Court bans mining with machines in Uttarakhand

The division bench has sought an answer from the Secretary of Mining as to how the royalty per quintal on the website of the Forest Corporation is Rs 31 and Rs 12 per quintal on the website of private miners. The court has directed the Forest Corporation to file its reply by January 12.

Nainital: A division bench of Uttarakhand High Court Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice RC Khulbe has banned mining done with machines in the entire state. The division bench has sought an answer from the Secretary of Mining as to how the royalty per quintal on the website of the Forest Corporation is Rs 31 and Rs 12 per quintal on the website of private miners. The court has directed the Forest Corporation to file its reply by January 12.

According to the case, Gagan Parashar, a resident of Halduchaur in Haldwani, and others filed a public interest litigation (PIL) saying, "mining with machines is not allowed in the state, but even then mining is being done with heavy machines. Manual mining is allowed in the mining rules, so mining with machines should be banned." The PIL also stated that there is a difference in the royalty rates of government and private mining.

"Royalty is fixed at Rs 31 per quintal on the Forest Corporation's website and Rs 12 per quintal in private, due to which private mining businessmen are paying less tax and the government is paying more. Because of this, the government is incurring losses as customers are buying goods from private mining traders. Uniform royalty rates should be fixed in government and private," the PIL stated.