State government has constituted a six-member committee for review of royalty collection relating to minor minerals such as sand, stone boulders, gravel, stone chips and other minor minerals.
The committee would be headed by principal secretary environment, forest & climate change (EF&CC) as chairperson, secretary EF&CC as member secretary and principal chief conservator of forest and head of forest force, secretary finance, secretary justice and law department and director geology and mining as members.
A government notification dated April 17, 2018, which laid down terms of reference of committee (ToR), stated that the committee would examine the applicability of NMMCR 2004 vis-à-vis various Acts/Rules and directions from the Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal.
The committee has also been tasked to recommend regulatory measures in consonance with the existing Acts and Rules with adequate environmental safeguards; to formulate and regulate transit regime of minor minerals both within and outside the state.
Terms of reference also include categorisation of minor minerals based on their extent, method of extraction and end uses.
The committee has been asked to submit the report one month from date of the notification
Meanwhile, consequent upon this notification, the government has reverted back all matters pertaining to the collection of boulders, stone, sand etc to EF&CC department till the committee submit its report to the government for further action.