Auditor raps mines department for violation of guidelines

JAIPUR: The department of mines is under fire from the CAG. The report points out that mines were operating without renewing of the consent to operate note. In another blatant violation, mineral production was enhanced without obtaining the environment clearance. “There was excess of minerals extracted by the lease holders in violation of conditions attached with consent to operate,” reads CAG report. The report also points out illegal mining activity was prevalent in the state. However, no specific details were given but it has pointed out that inadequacies in preventive measures.
“There was slackness in implementing of the policy measures enunciated in 2011 for curbing illegal mining,” said the report. The report says that they ministry of environment and forest granted environmental clearance for mining lease despite the area falling under the Aravallis hill range. The department collected Rs 295 crore for the environment management fund which was not utilised in absence of any guidelines.

Irregularities found in PWD development projects in Raj

Irregularities galore in execution of PWD developmental projects. The CAG report says that state didn’t comply with the provisions of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. The work was awarded without making proper arrangement of funds resulted in non-completion of roads even after incurring an expenditure of Rs 2.61 crores. The aim of the scheme was to provide all weather road connectivity to the targeted area defeated. The avoidable expenditure of Rs 4.19 crore was incurred due to wrong inclusion of items of excavation of earth, construction of granular sub base and laying of compacted graded stone aggregate in the estimates of the construction of cement concrete roads under Gramin Gaurav Path scheme. The report says that work load for construction of bypass on national highway 112 (BarBoilara-Jodhpur) was awarded without ensuring the availability of land and non-shifting of high tension lines in time. While making payments to contractors on account of price escalation for labour steel, cement, bitumen, pol pland and machinery and other material components . The estimate loss is payment of price escalation of Rs 1.02 crore.