Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], March 31 (ANI): The Uttarakhand Indian Civil Services (IAS) Association has demanded assurances for the dignity and self-respect of bureaucrats following allegations of illegal mining in the state by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Trivendra Singh Rawat.
Rawat, a former Chief Minister and current Haridwar MP, on last Thursday, raised an issue in Parliament about the alleged illegal mining activities in Uttarakhand, which sparked controversy within both the party and the bureaucracy.
Meanwhile, in response, the IAS Association convened an emergency meeting, chaired by its president, Anand Vardhan, where the members expressed their displeasure over the reaction given by former Chief Minister and current Haridwar MP Trivendra Singh Rawat on the statement made by State Mining Secretary Brijesh Kumar Sant regarding the increasing revenue of the state from mining.
The association decided to send a delegation to meet Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and the Chief Secretary of the State, submitting a formal memorandum that seeks guarantees for the protection of bureaucratic dignity.
The Bureaucrats united after MP Trivendra Singh Rawat’s statement on the Mining Secretary and further said, “criticism is fine, but we implement only the policies of the government.”
BJP State President and Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt, along with BJP National Co-Treasurer and Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Bansal, dismissed Rawat’s allegations, pointing out that the state had seen record-breaking revenue from mining. They questioned how illegal activities could persist under such circumstances and praised the Uttarakhand government for its stringent measures against illegal mining.
He further praised the Uttarakhand government for its strict action against illegal mining, saying it has helped increase the state’s mining revenue from Rs 300 crore to over Rs 1,000 crore.
Speaking about the rise in revenue, Bhatt said, “Our revenue from mining in Uttarakhand has increased significantly. Earlier, it was around Rs 300 crore, but today, it has exceeded Rs 1,000 crore. What does this mean? It means that when theft stops and illegal activities are curbed, revenue naturally rises. I congratulate the Chief Minister for this achievement.”
On Friday, Uttarakhand Mining Secretary Brijesh Kumar Sant said that for the first time after the formation of the state, a total of 159 mining leases and 02 silica sand mining leases have been allotted for sub-mineral sand, gravel, boulders through e-tender cum e-auction in the state, according to a release.
He said that the department has earned a revenue of about Rs 1025 crore to date in the financial year 2024-25. This has been possible due to effective control and speedy action on illegal mining, transportation and storage. Allotment of mining leases has been ensured through e-tender cum e-auction.
The Finance Department had set a revenue target of Rs 875 crore for the Mining Department for this financial year 2024-25, against which the Mining Department has earned revenue of about Rs 1025 crore till date and it is likely to earn more than Rs 1100 crore by the end of the financial year, which is a major achievement for the Mining Department for the first time after the state of Uttarakhand.
According to Mining Secretary Brijesh Kumar Sant, the Uttarakhand government has generated approximately Rs1,025 crore in mining revenue for the financial year 2024-25, the highest since the state’s formation. He attributed this to stringent enforcement measures, including e-auction-based allocations of 159 mining leases and two silica sand leases.
The IAS Association has strongly opposed Rawat’s remarks, emphasising that bureaucrats execute policies within the framework of government directives and should not be unfairly targeted. (ANI)
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