Patna, October 15 (PTI) The Bihar government on Tuesday announced hefty penalties of up to Rs 10 lakh for vehicles involved in illegal mining activities. The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Additional Chief Secretary (Cabinet Secretariat) S Siddharth said, “The cabinet approved a proposal from the state’s mines and geology department to increase penalties aimed at curbing illegal mining.” He said according the new penalty structure, tractors used for transporting illegally mined products will face a fine of Rs 1 lakh, up from the previous Rs 25,000. Penalties for dumpers and trucks will rise to Rs 8 lakh from Rs 6 lakh, and earth-moving machines will incur a fine of Rs 10 lakh, he added.
These increased fines are designed to deter people from engaging in illegal mining activities, he said.
Siddharth emphasised that the penalties will be in addition to any fines imposed for environmental damage. “All registered vehicles transporting mined materials must adhere to new guidelines, including using a red-colour code and ensuring that the materials are covered. Non-compliance will result in further penalties as outlined in the new regulations,” he said.
In addition to these measures, the cabinet also approved a budget of Rs 190 crore to provide laptops and smartphones to investigators.
This initiative aims to enhance the collection of digital and technical evidence in cognizable offences, he said.
“Equipping investigating officers (IOs) with these tools will enable them to gather evidence directly at crime scenes and improve the overall transparency and reliability of investigations, particularly with the upcoming implementation of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS),” he added.
The cabinet also greenlit a proposal from the water resources department for the release of Rs 14 crore as the state’s share for the second phase of the Kosi-Mechi intra-linking river project.
This project aims to alleviate flood issues in several districts and the state government has sought additional financial support from the central government under a 90:10 funding ratio for the initiative, he said. PTI PKD MNB
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