SRINAGAR: Minister of State for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Power Development, Industries and Commerce Syed Farooq Ahmad Andrabi on Thursday said that the government has taken various steps to check illegal mining and excavation.
Replying to a question of Vibodh Gupta in the Legislative Council, Andrabi said the officials are deployed in each district to keep strict vigil ensuring that no person is allowed to undertake illegal mining operation in respect of any minor mineral.
He said penalties are imposed to restrict the illegal mining causing ecological imbalance.
The minister said no minor mineral concession is granted on the land which is under agriculture or horticulture production or Kacharai, Shamlat, Forest, protected areas and eco-sensitive zones. He said that penalty of Rs 3.16 lakh was recovered in 2015-16 and Rs 3.02 lakh were collected till date this year in Jammu province, while in Kashmir province, Rs 15.98 lakh were recovered as penalty in 2015-16 and Rs 3.63 lakh till date this year.