Bihar Government Amends Mining Rules to Curb Illegal Mining and Boost Revenue Collection

Bihar Government under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar achieved more than 80 percent of the target of sand revenue, and the state is moving towards more than double the target. Today on 16th October Deputy Chief Minister (Mines and Geology Department) of Bihar Vijay Kumar Sinha held an important press conference today and gave detailed information on the amendment made by the Council of Ministers in the Bihar Minerals (Subsidy, Prevention of Illegal Mining, Transportation and Storage) Rules, 2019. This amendment will bring many important changes in the process of mineral mining and revenue collection in the state.

Shri Sinha informed that Bihar has achieved more than 80 percent of the target of sand revenue, and the state is moving towards more than double the target. He said that earlier the business of illegal mining by big mafias was flourishing in the state, to stop which new amendments have been made. He further said that these amendments made under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar are aimed at smooth operation of the mining process in the state and to get rid of the delay in environmental clearance.

Major changes and provisions:

The department responsible for environmental clearance: Earlier, the mining plan and environmental clearance were obtained by the successful bidders, which was deliberately delayed. Now this approval will be taken by the department so that mining can be started immediately after the auction.

Provision of time limit and penalty: Those who delay mining plans and environmental approval will now be fined, which will increase revenue and stop illegal mining.

Strict action on illegal mining: There is a provision of punishment of up to five years for those doing illegal mining. Apart from this, e-challan has been made mandatory for vehicles carrying minerals.

Strict penalty on vehicles: There is a provision of heavy penalty on vehicles transporting illegal minerals, in which a penalty of Rs 1 lakh has been fixed on tractors and trolleys to Rs 8 lakh on 10-wheel trucks. Apart from this, a fine of 25 times the ownership of the amount of mineral loaded will also be charged.

Action on Ghat operators: Strict action will also be taken against Ghat operators involved in illegal mining. If caught for the first time, a fine of Rs 5 lakh and for the second time, a fine of Rs 10 lakh per vehicle will be imposed.

Relief for small businessmen: The limit and fee of mineral storage has been revised for small businessmen, so that they can run their business smoothly and new employment opportunities are created.

The solution to the problem of drainage and siltation: In the new rules, a provision has been made to remove the silt deposited in rivers and canals through an auction on the recommendation of the Water Resources Department, which will ensure water flow in the rivers and also generate revenue.

Identification of minerals: Marking of specific colors and words has been made mandatory for the identification of mineral-laden vehicles so that monitoring and control over illegal mining and transportation can be effective.

In this press conference, Mr. Sinha assured strict action on illegal mining and said that the state government is fully committed to making the mining process transparent, which will not only increase revenue but will also ensure environmental protection.