CoMs amends mining rules,  fix 25 pc Royalty inviolation of minor mining

Himachal Pradesh Council of Minsters decided to give exemption in minor mining during the construction work allowing captive use of construction materials beside a new rule to charge  25 per cent royalty on construction materials also being proposed.

CoMs called an emergency meeting here today to resolve the three days old strike of contracters who are demanding release of pending dues and exempting them from the minor mining rules  in the government construction work.

 CoM approved an amendment in the HP Minor Minerals (Concession) and Minerals (Prevention of Illegal Mining, Transportation and Storage) Rules, 2015 to ensure optimum use of minor minerals for use in construction of roads, retaining walls, breast wall soling etc. 

Spokesperson of state government said that this would facilitate easy availability of minerals such as stones and sand particularly in rural areas for construction purposes.

It was decided that in case of works related to construction of roads by different departments or agencies of the State Government, the Mining Officers would grant permission for use of minor minerals generated during the construction of such works, exclusively for captive use (in-situ) in the same work i.e. construction of roads including retaining walls, breast walls soling etc. upto the extent of 10,000 MT per month at a time and not exceeding 20,000 MT per work on the report of Engineer in Charge of the work not below the rank of Assistant Engineer. 

The Cabinet also approved to insert a Rule 

providing that if any person not being a mining lease holder and not violated Rules and could not provide transit form, shall be liable to pay royalty at the applicable rates and penalty at the rate of 25 percent of royalty applicable. 

State Contracters Association decided to go on undefined strike and stop all development works alleging that they are not being getting payment of construction work for last two years and Rs. 200 cr amount of them are withhold by the government by traping them in above rules demanding resolution of the issue.