Jammu, October 05: All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC)—a frontline registered organisation of elected PRI members—on Tuesday said that the border areas are the worst-victim of illegal mining due to the failure of UT administration to curb the malpractice.
“Border areas are the worst affected due to illegal mining that has inflicted the ecology, flora fauna and water bodies of all districts in Jammu and Kashmir. The problem becomes more serious due to inaction on the part of authorities concerned. Officers concerned have turned a blind eye to the mining mafia,” Anil Sharma, UT President of AJKPC said while addressing a gathering of elected PRI members in border Chowki Choura area of Jammu district.
He said that small water bodies including streams and nullahs in border areas have not been spared by the illegal mining mafia. “This is notwithstanding the fact that locals have been struggling to get minor minerals for construction of small residential structures,” Sharma said, adding that the government should take a stern action against those indulged in siphoning off public money through illegal mining.
“The concerned mining department instead of taking action against the violators is wilfully facilitating them to find new ways for carrying out illegal mining,” he said.
The AJKPC leader said that some vested interests in the administration don’t want self-reliance of the Panchayats. “In July last year, it was decided to grant mining blocks to the Panchayats through short permits to achieve financial empowerment of grassroots democratic institutions in rural pockets but nothing has been done in this direction so far,” said Sharma while accusing the geology and mining department of turning J&K a safe haven for illegal mining syndicate.
“On the one side, the cost of minor minerals including sand, gravel and stones are going out of the reach of common people and on the other crusher owners have been charging exorbitantly for such construction materials. The authorities concerned have turned a blind eye to the hardships being faced by the middle class,” Sharma said.
He also condemned the role of the district administration and tax authorities under whose patronage this illegal business has been flourishing.
The AJKPC leader demanded that the rights of mining blocks within the jurisdiction of concerned Panchayat should be conferred to them so that Panchayats are made self-reliant. “The revenue generated through this process would be utilized for the overall development of the concerned Panchayat. It would not only empower Panchayats financially but also end their dependency on the government,” he said.
The programme was organised by the Executive member AJKPC Ramesh Sharma and was prominently attended by Ram Saroop Sharma, senior Vice President AJKPC, Sarpanch Baldev Sharma, Ravi Sharma, Dolat Sharma, Chuni Lal, Rakesh Kumar, Kali Dass, Panch Kewal Krishan, Vijay Kumar, Rajesh Kumar, Sanjay Kumar and Vikey Sudan.
