Times of India: Surat: Tuesday,
June 28, 2016.
The state
government had in 2012 issued a directive that said all the districts in south
Gujarat should set up District Area Committees (DAC) to monitor mining activity
in their respective areas. However, no district in the region except Surat had
set up District Area Committee (DAC) to carry out regular assessment of
authorized mining activity. The DAC is headed by the district collector and has
officials of different government departments and people from villages where
mining is taking place as members. The details were sourced through an
application under Right to Information Act (RTI) by a city resident keeping
illegal mining in mind.
Rajesh
Ramani, 32, a resident of Sarthana, had approached Surat, Valsad, Navsari, Tapi
and Bharuch district collector offices to find out if the DACs had been formed
as was asked. Except Surat no district authority had formed such a committee,
but here the mining and geology department was not holding its regular meetings.
"It is surprising that except Surat no other district in south Gujarat had
formed this committee. Surat district authorities held some meetings initially,
but the committee has not been meeting regularly," said Ramani, who is
into building material business.
"I came
to know how much of theft of minerals was being carried out and that there is
no effective mechanism to control it. There is a circular by the geology and
mining department of the state government issued in 2012 on DACs, but the local
geology department authorities have failed to implement it," Ramani added.
"We have
a task force committee of government officers, district environment impact
committee and grievance redressal committee in operations. We have not formed
the DAC," said J M Patel, assistant geologist, Tapi district.
"The RTI
responses reveal negligence on the part of district-level officials to
implement the state government's circular. Illegal mining causes great loss in
minerals and revenue to the state government. DAC can help control illegal
activity, but majority of the districts in the region do not have it," RTI
activist Ajay Jangid said.
"The
department concerned has formed the committee in Valsad, but it is yet to start
functioning. We are in the process of making it functional as per the state
government's directive," Valsad district collector Remya Mohan said.
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