Solve Mining Leasing Organizations forest clearance on a single window system: CM

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah suggested that a single-window model system be devised to resolve mining lease issues.

The Chief Minister suggested that the Ministers and officials of the Mining and Geology, Revenue and Forest Departments should hold a meeting every month or every two months to settle the issue on the basis of a single-window system to issue forest department settlement and other permission letters to the organizations that have got mining leases in the state.

On Thursday, CM Siddaramaiah held a high-level meeting to settle the pending cases related to the Forest Department in the institutions under the Mines and Geology Department in the state.

On this occasion, it was discussed that many cases are pending for the forest department to settle. It was identified that the reason for this was that the mining lease companies did not provide alternative land for afforestation. For this, there are farmers in Arsikere and some other parts of the state who are willing to sell their agricultural land due to encroachment by elephants and other wildlife. The Chief Minister suggested that these organizations should enable the purchase of land from such farmers and provide it for afforestation.

An application has been submitted to the Government of India on Pravesh Portal for permission to carry out mineral exploration in the State through the Government of India owned KIOCL and MECL. He directed the officials of the Department of Mines and Geology to discuss with these organizations to rectify the objections to these applications and get quick settlement.

Over 2.7 million metric tons of ore confiscated from illegal mining in the past is in the forest area, and he advised legal experts to take legal advice for their disposal.

He suggested that the applications coming under the task force under the chairmanship of the District Collector should be disposed of quickly. He suggested that a proposal to implement an OTS (One Time Settlement) scheme to collect fines imposed on quarry contractors for violation of rules should be tabled in the Cabinet meeting.

Forest Minister Eshwara Khandre, Horticulture and Mines and Geology Minister SS Mallikarjun, Chief Minister's Political Secretaries K Govindaraju, Naseer Ahmed, Deputy Chief Secretary to Chief Minister Dr Rajneesh Goyal, Deputy Chief Secretary Forest Department Javed Akhtar, Revenue Department Principal Secretary Rajender Kataria and other senior officials were present.