Cabinet amends rules to fix zero royalty on soil digging

LUCKNOW: A day after chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s announcement, the state cabinet on Tuesday amended the UP minor minerals (mining) Rules 1963 to fix zero royalty rate on digging of soil in Uttar Pradesh.

Yogi presided over the meeting that also approved incentives of Rs 317.12 crore to two industrial units that have been issued letter of comfort under provisions of UP Infrastructure and Industrial Investment Policy 2012. Approved incentives include Rs 110.76 crore to Shree Cement Limited (Bulandshahr) and Rs 206.36 crore to Reliance Cement Company Private Limited, Rae Bareli in accordance with conditions of letters of comfort.

An official spokesman said the state cabinet on October 24, 2017 had decided to allow farmers to take out 10 trolley soil from their field in a year without payment of any royalty. The state cabinet had on February 6, 2018 had allowed government departments to get authorisation letters for digging of soil on payment of royalty (Rs 30 per cubic metre fixed on January 19, 2016). There were, however, complaints of extortion from farmers in the name of royalty for digging soil. The state cabinet has decided to fix zero royalty on the soil now. The state government had received Rs 251.15 crore from royalty on soil in 2016-2017 and Rs 244.84 crore in 2017-2018 (till December 2018). The state government has received a total revenue of Rs 1156 crore as royalty in 2017-2018 (up to February 2018).

LAND FOR CENTRAL SCHOOL

The cabinet approved a proposal for transfer of 4.200 hectare land registered in the name of Varanasi airport to secondary education department free of cost to set up central school in Varanasi.

COMPENSATION NORMS

The cabinet approved a proposal to amend a notification issued under the provisions of Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 to bring down the expenditure on establishment from 3% to 2.5% of total expenditure on compensation.

LICENSE FOR KEROSENE OIL DISTRIBUTION

The state cabinet approved proposals to cancel notification dated April 19, 1994 and amendment to Uttar Pradesh Kerosene Control Order 1962 for issuing one time license for distribution of kerosene oil. The state government though had issued order for amendment in the kerosene control order through government order dated November 8, 2017 the Allahabad high court had taken strong exception to the move of issuing order with retrospective effect.