Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Choudhary, today directed for strict enforcement of e-challan at quarry units, mandatory GPS tracking of all vehicles transporting mining material, and the implementation of the “One Parchi, One Load” rule to completely curb illegal mining across Jammu and Kashmir.
Srinagar, February 27: Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Choudhary, today directed for strict enforcement of e-challan at quarry units, mandatory GPS tracking of all vehicles transporting mining material, and the implementation of the “One Parchi, One Load” rule to completely curb illegal mining across Jammu and Kashmir.
Chairing a high-level meeting of the Mining Department in Jammu, the Deputy CM stressed the need to strengthen enforcement mechanisms in all districts.
The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, Mining Department, Ashwani Kumar; Chairman, Pollution Control Committee; Director, Ecology, Environment, and Remote Sensing; Deputy Commissioners (Chairpersons, District-Level Task Force Committees) online; Director, Geology and Mining; Managing Director, JKML; Special Secretary, Mining Department; Senior Superintendents of Police; Director Finance, Mining; DMOs, and other senior officers.
Reiterating the government’s zero-tolerance policy against illegal mining in both the Jammu and Kashmir divisions, Choudhary issued strict instructions that no vehicle shall be allowed to transport mining material without a valid “Parchi” (authorized e-challan).
“Only one load must be permitted against each Parchi, and any misuse or duplication will be met with strict action against the violator,” he said.
Making GPS tracking mandatory, the Deputy Chief Minister ordered that all vehicles involved in mining operations must have functional GPS devices installed. “Vehicles operating without GPS will be seized immediately, and strict action will be taken against defaulters.”
Emphasizing strict adherence to approved excavation limits, Choudhary asserted that no excavation shall exceed the prescribed depth, and mining beyond authorized riverbed zones and illegal night operations will be dealt with firmly.
Calling for stronger inter-departmental coordination, the Deputy Chief Minister stressed that collective responsibility and joint action are essential to eliminate illegal mining and prevent attempts to defame the administration. He assured full administrative backing to enforcement agencies and gave a free hand to the District-Level Task Force to act decisively against violators.
“I give DCs, who head District Task Forces and SSPs, a free hand to take strict action against illegal mining offenders, including complicit officials. No external pressure will be tolerated while dealing with the offenders,” he stated.
The Deputy Chief Minister strictly directed the Mining Department to intensify monitoring mechanisms and strengthen ground-level enforcement to safeguard natural resources.
He directed the DCs to identify the mining blocks, obtain environmental clearances, ensure fair demolition of illegal units, provide information on the utilization of mining funds, and ensure complete prohibition of illegal mining in all districts.
He instructed the crusher units to clear pending power dues, suspend MDLs, and adopt best mining policies from other states and UTs to curb mining operations in J&K.
During the meeting, the Deputy CM undertook a detailed review of measures, including the status of mineral blocks, e-auctions, GPS tracking, and IMSS implementation, enforcement actions against illegal mining, compliance of crusher units, proposed amendments in royalty and penalties, progress under DMFT, mineral exploration activities, and the overall regulatory position of the Department.
During the meeting, the Additional Chief Secretary stressed the need to maintain tight vigilance and effective action to address the challenge of illegal mining in J&K.
At the outset, the Director of the Geology and Mining Department briefed the chair about the overall functioning and measures taken to curb illegal mining operations.