Mines & minerals department generates Rs 2.10 bln in 2017

F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Department has successfully generated over Rs 2.10 billion revenue during the previous fiscal year by introducing stern monitoring and check system on mining processes in the province.

However, the statistics available with Department of Mines and Minerals state that five regional camp offices for  surveillance and monitoring have been established at various districts including Abbotabad, Karak, Swat, Peshawar and Chitral in an effort to curtail the illegal mining and ensure control over misuse and unauthorized exploitation and exploration in the province.

In order to tighten nose on violators, district offices have been established under the regional camp offices for effective monitoring and regulation of the mining processes in order to curtail losses to the provincial exchequer.  District camp offices have been established in Abbotabad, Manshera, Haripur, Kohistan, Peshawa, Nowshera, Buner, Shangla, Swat, Malakand, Kohat, Hangu, Bannu, DI Khan and Chitral district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to the Planning Officer for the KP Mines and Minerals department, the mechanism for monitoring of the mining activity has been effective because it has generated favorable results by achieving the set goals for revenue generation.

During the previous fiscal year, Rs 2.10 billion target was set which was achieved successfully. The revenue generation has been made possible through bringing the illegal mining into the mainstream, imposition of proper royalty and tax on the tonnage of mining carried out and proper check on challans issued to lease holders.

The initiative is intended to pinpoint the mines granted to lease holder which are not performing as per required standards and will also check whether proper rules and regulations are being followed.