The Minister of State for Mines and
Steel Shri Vishnu Deo Sai informed the Rajya Sabha today in reply to a question
that State
Governments are empowered, under Section 23C of the Mines and Mineral
(Development and Regulation) Act 1957 ( MMDR Act 1957) to make rules for
prevention of illegal mining, transportation and storage of minerals; and,
therefore, matters relating to illegal mining come under the legislative and
administrative jurisdiction of State Governments.
However, based on the quarterly returns
on illegal mining submitted by various State Governments to Indian Bureau of
Mines (IBM) (a subordinate office under the Ministry of Mines), the total cases
of illegal mining in the country reported from year 2009-10 to 2015-16 (Quarter
ending September, 2015) is provided below:
|
Year-wise details of
illegal mining
|
2009-10
|
2010-11
|
2011-12
|
2012-13
|
2013-14
|
2014-15
|
2015-16 (Quarter
ending sept-2015)
|
|
Grand Total
|
69316
|
78189
|
94604
|
98597
|
88689
|
97149
|
48467
|
In exercise of the power conferred by
section 23C of Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act, 1957,
Govt. of Uttar Pradesh has published the Uttar Pradesh Mineral (Prevention of
Illegal Mining), Transportation and Storage Rules, 2002. In addition, Uttar
Pradesh Govt. vide Order No-5360/77-5-2005-371/05 dated 10.11.2005 has constituted
a task force under the chairmanship of District Magistrate to check and curb
illegal mining and illegal transportation in all the districts of Uttar
Pradesh. The number of cases of illegal mining and fine recovered by Govt. of
Uttar Pradesh in the last ten years are provided below:
|
Years
|
No. of cases
|
Revenue recovered
(Rs. In Lakhs)
|
|
06-07
|
5120
|
433.27
|
|
07-08
|
4656
|
469.96
|
|
08-09
|
3874
|
500.18
|
|
09-10
|
5472
|
847.67
|
|
10-11
|
6234
|
1376.71
|
|
11-12
|
6713
|
1668.35
|
|
12-13
|
9708
|
3193.98
|
|
13-14
|
8612
|
2978.35
|
|
14-15
|
9920
|
2527.35
|
|
15-16 (Till January
2016)
|
10016
|
2953.67
|
|
Total
|
70,325
|
16949.49
|
The Mines and Minerals (Development and
Regulation) (MMDR) Act, 1957 was amended through the MMDR Amendment Act,
2015 which came into effect from 12th January, 2015. The Amendment
Act has, inter alia, stringent punitive provisions for combating illegal
mining. Illegal mining has been made punishable with imprisonment for a term
which may extend to five years and with fine which may extend to five lakh rupees
per hectare of the area. Provisions have been made for setting up of Special
Courts for the purpose of providing speedy trial of offences relating to
illegal mining.
*****
YSK