JAMMU: Former Legislator Ch Vikram Randhawa along with other representatives of Stone Crusher Owners Association had demanded preference to locals for mining lease.
Wherever stone crushers are installed, the first right of the lease should be given to the State person, and if he is not interested, then outsourcing should be done. No outsiders should be allowed to take tender at higher rates for mining and minimum MSP should be set by Govt on raw material for stone crushing,” he said while addressing a press conference along with Vijay Sharma (Tawi Belt), Nazir Ahmed Mir representing Kashmir and Dev Choudhary, representing Samba and Kathua belt of the Association, here. Randhawa said that the new SRO-60 will boost up the stone-crushing industry, better economic environment and also generate more employment and revenue for J&K. The Association welcomed the Govt decision of amending the previous SRO-302 that was passed on July 19, 2017 and was similar to Article 302 and it was forcefully applied on some. “Now a bold and relaxing step towards stone crusher owners has been taken by Govt in the shape of SRO-60 and it is with the view of ease of doing business as Govt has provided different platforms to those who wanted to enter into this business said,” Randhawa said.
The Association members said that the Government minutely undergone the Zoology & Mining, Govt of India Act 1957, and it was wrongfully projected previously that mining and crushing work is done hand in hand whereas on practical lines, no stone crushing unit till now has done the mining work.
