Public outcry likely on allocation of sandstone quarries

Anindo Dey, TNN, Sep 20, 2010;

JAIPUR: A public outcry is expected after the mining department recently allocated more than two quarries per applicant in a recently held lottery of sandstone quarries at Sihanda village of Shergarh in Jodhpur. As per the minor mineral rule 22 no person can be given more than two quarries. The area lies 10 km from Jodhpur towards Jaisalmer.

The lottery was that for sandstone quarries that were regularised recently. Sources revealed the mining activity was on in this region for quite some time illegally. The department after it failed to put a brake on the activity regularised it, though the necessary environmental clearance for the same was not taken.

According to Rana Sengupta of the Mine Labour Protection Campaign, "It is necessary for all mining activity on more than 20 hectares to go in for environmental clearance but this was not done in this case. In an application filed under the RTI. The regional officer has accepted that neither was environmental clearance taken for the same nor any environmental impact assessment or an environmental management plan or executive summary placed for it."

Sources reveal 1,83,331 applications were filed for about 300 quarries. When the lotteries were completed mo st went back home empty handed some got as many as six quarries.

"Not just that but also the fact that the government has clubbed SC, ST and OBC in one category for granting of quarries is again a flaw. For many of the OBCs are rich and filed multiple applications but that could not be the case of the SC and ST as each application costs Rs 500. As a result, though these sandstone mines are meant for the poor, landless persons or dependants of those killed in government jobs etc t many of those who has got them are financially well-off."

According to Sengupta, "People ask why the applications of some of these people, whose names came up twice, were opened again. There are so many people who applied. Therefore, after some of these persons got two quarries their applications should have been closed so that others get a chance. It is a fault with the system and the department must therefore give back the Rs 500 that was taken from them for the application."

When contacted officials of the department accepted that there were many persons who had got more than two quarries. "But we are studying the case and will find a way out so that no one gets more than two quarries," officials said.

However, that is a cause for worry for activists as they feel that by the time these additional quarries are taken back from the persons and a lottery done again, it will be quite some time and these quarries would already have been exposed to illegal mining.