Nagpur: Minerals worth Rs 226.04 crore were
illegally mined in various states across the country last
fiscal, according to the findings of the Indian Bureau of
Mines (IBM), which monitors and prevents such unlawful
activities.
In the 2010-11 fiscal year, 14,204 cases of illegal
mining of 43.584 lakh tonnes of major minerals, valued at Rs
71.52 crore, were detected. In 775 cases, FIRs were lodged
with authorities and legal proceedings have been launched in
514 cases.
Fines to the tune of Rs 122.33 crore were realised from
the defaulters, official sources said on Tuesday.
In the case of minor minerals, 77,431 cases of illegal
mining, totalling 34.427 lakh tonnes worth Rs 154.52 crore,
were reported in various states.
About 766 FIRs were lodged with the police and court
proceedings initiated in 9,078 cases. Penalties to the tune of
Rs 143.94 crore have been recovered from the illegal miners,
they said.
Through the IBM, the Centre constituted a task force and
conducted an inspection of mines in areas where the problem of
illegal mining was rampant by taking the help of satellite
imaging.
IBM Controller General C S Gundewar said the
inspections were conducted between December, 2009, and March,
2011, in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat,
Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Orissa.
He said about 434 mines holding minerals like iron ore,
manganese ore, dolomite, limestone and bauxite were inspected
by the task force.
Subsequently, IBM suspended mining operations in 150
mines and recommended the suspension of mining leases in nine
cases to the state governments.
Quoting Section 23C of the Mines and Minerals Development
and Regulation (MMDR) Act, the Centre has issued directives to
respective state governments to issue official notifications
in the gazette to make rules for prevention of illegal mining,
its transportation and storage.
In addition, the Centre advised them to establish check
posts to stop the transportation of illegally mined minerals,
set up weigh bridges to measure the quantity of minerals that
are being transported and inspect and check minerals at the
place of excavation.
State governments have been requested to set up district
and state-level task forces to curb illegal mining since the
year 2005. But so far, only 21 states in the country have
complied with the directives, official sources said.
As part of the major drive, the Centre has also decided
to have better coordination with railways, ports and customs
officials to prevent the export of illegally mined minerals.
State governments are also armed with Section 100 of the
CrPC, which empowers them to conduct a search under warrant,
sources said.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, September 27, 2011, 14:18