The state government has taken non-availability of minerals (sand and grit) in the market seriously in the wake of indefinite strike by owners of stone crushers who had stopped operation of their units since March 5 across the state.
The mining department authorities have served show-cause notices on 38 owners of stone crushers set up in Nurpur, Indora, Jawali and Fatehpur subdivision till last evening.
The crusher owners are demanding revocation of the government’s February notification banning the use of mechanical excavators like JCBs to extract minerals from leased riverbeds and terrace land of the rivers.
As per information, following the direction of the state geologist, the local mining officer has served show-cause notices on all crusher owners in lower Kangra areas asking them to restart operation within a week otherwise their machinery installed in the stone crusher units would be confiscated. They have also been asked why action should not be taken for terminating their mining leases if they failed to re-start operation of their units within a week.
