The BJP has demanded to hold an anti-corruption bureau probe (ACB) in an alleged mine allotment scam, as reported by a daily. However, the Rajasthan government has denied all the allegations.
The report published by a newspaper claimed that the state mines department allegedly changed limestone mines to marble to benefit a firm, bringing a loss of ₹1,000 crore to the state.
Limestone mines come under the major mineral category and can therefore be auctioned under rules laid by the Government of India, whereas marble is a minor mineral and auctioned under state government rules. The report alleged that two mines of 74.29 hectares and 10.41 hectares respectively in Pratapgarh district were changed from limestone to marble and allotted to a firm, which brought a revenue loss of around ₹1,000 crore to the state.
The survey conducted in 1983-85 called these blocks of limestone. Another committee in July 2019 placed the blocks in the limestone category. However, another committee, in February 2020, called it marble, instead of limestone.
BJP spokesperson and MLA Ramlal Sharma accused the state government of allotting natural resources to satisfy its MLAs and said the BJP has already alleged that the head of Rajasthan (CM) is allocating the state’s natural wealth to satisfy MLAs and save the government.
He said these allegations are now proving to be right, and the news reports are indicating the same – this seems to be the biggest mine scam of the state where the mine category was changed and mines worth ₹1,000 crore were auctioned starting from ₹5 crore.
“The ACB, anyway, works on the instructions of the government by registering many cases and doing political torture; will the ACB try to probe the method of auction and register a complaint to bring the truth out?” he questioned.
However, denying all the allegations, additional chief secretary, mines, Subodh Agarwal said, “the government has followed due procedures at every step and the mines were e-auctioned where four bidders participated.”
He said limestone and marble have the same chemical composition, while marble fetches a royalty of ₹265 per/ton, limestone gets only ₹80 per ton. Therefore, the auction of the said mineral as marble instead of limestone fetches more than three times revenue. Hence, it is in the interest of the state. “No irregularity has been committed at any level,” said Agarwal.