Kashmir Impulse Desk

Jammu, April 3

A legislative panel in Jammu and Kashmir has raised alarm over more than Rs 82.57 crore in penalties that remain uncollected from private entities accused of illegal mining and unregulated mineral extraction, warning of both financial losses and environmental risks.

The findings emerged during a review of the Department of Geology and Mining by a committee of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Environment, chaired by Muhammad Yusuuf Tarigami.

In its first report for 2025-26, tabled in the assembly, the panel expressed “deep concern” over the failure to recover dues, suggesting that the actual scale of illegal extraction may be significantly underreported.

Tarigami warned that the committee would not remain passive, particularly given the region’s fiscal constraints, and called for immediate corrective measures.

“The reported figures may substantially under-represent the actual extent of the problem on the ground,” he said, according to the report.

The panel pointed to widespread irregularities in monitoring and enforcement, noting that illegal mining and unsustainable resource extraction posed a growing threat to ecological stability in the region.

It said it planned to conduct on-site inspections of mining blocks, especially in areas where illegal activity has led to encroachment and unauthorized settlements on government land.

The committee emphasized that safeguarding environmental interests required stronger coordination across departments and stricter enforcement of existing regulations.

In addition to the unrecovered penalties, the panel questioned the reliability of data provided by the department, raising concerns about gaps in reporting and oversight.

It directed officials to carry out a comprehensive review of monitoring and recovery systems and to present a detailed action plan in upcoming meetings.

The department has also been asked to submit a region-wise inventory of all mining leases, including details on lease periods, revenue realized, and the identity of leaseholders, as well as compliance with environmental clearances.

The committee called for transparent and verifiable reporting, along with detailed accounts of encroachments on mining sites and the status of enforcement actions.

It also sought ground verification reports and records of periodic inspections, asking the department to identify lapses and specify whether any officials had been held accountable.

The findings have renewed scrutiny of the mining sector in Jammu and Kashmir, where concerns over illegal extraction, weak enforcement and environmental degradation have persisted for years.

Lawmakers said a comprehensive reassessment of the sector – including regulatory frameworks, compliance mechanisms and resource management practices – was needed to address what they described as long-standing neglect.