AP government waives off fine from erring mining licence holders, on 'sympathy grounds'.
Picture for representational purpose only.
Hyderabad: The government has waived off Vigilance and Enforcement penalties worth crores for violators, including erring mining licence holders, on “sympathy grounds”.
The Vigilance department, after studying records, has found that Rs 59.65 crore of penalties and Rs 2.23 crore of normal seigniorage fees were waived off at the government level following representations made by violators who had been fined for evasion on minor and major minerals.
The Natural Resources wing in the vigilance department conducts surprise checks on granite stockyards and quarry sites, during transportation and at the ports from where the minerals are exported. Surprise checks are also conducted on raw granite blocks, sand reaches, sand quarry sites and major construction sites.
After searches and raids, penalties are levied on the evaders ranging from one to five times the seigniorage or royalty fee.
“While reviewing the action taken on the evaded seigniorage fees on minor and major minerals which was detected by V&E officials in the past five years, it was found that the entire penalties recommended for imposition on the defaulters were totally waived off,” stated the Vigilance report. In Vijayawada, Rs 2.5 crore, in Srikakulam Rs 14 crore, in Hyderabad city and rural Rs 10.2 crore and in Visakhapatnam, Rs2.02 crore were waived off.
“The evader knowingly and willfully commits a criminal act by taking excess of public property and gets a penalty waiver leading to a huge loss to the state exchequer. It also sends out a wrong signal to the other lease holders to escape from any such acts,” said a source.
Sources in the mines department said that following the vigilance report, the situation was being rectified and no penalties had been waived off recently.
( Source : dc )
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