Says Rajasthan authorities hand in glove with illegal miners

In a stinging attack on the Rajasthan government, the Supreme Court on Monday said the State authorities are hand in glove with illegal miners who operate in the fast-depleting Aravalli region.

A Bench led by Justice Arun Mishra was annoyed when the State’s counsel submitted that the ground-truthing exercise to ascertain the area where illegal mining had allegedly been conducted remained incomplete due to the recently held Assembly elections and the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

“What are you saying? As elections are there, so illegal mining will go on till then? What is this? You do not want to do this because this suits you. The entire machinery is rotten,” the court asked.

Promise belied

The court said the once-lush Aravalli region is devastated after years of indiscriminate and illegal mining. “You are hand in glove and your officers are hand in glove with them (illegal miners). The entire Aravalli area is devastated and the entire flora and fauna there has gone,” the apex court said.

The court recounted how the State had promised to finish the exercise in three months on October 29 last year and ordered the personal appearance of the State Chief Secretary.

‘Only want compliance’

“We want compliance of our order. We want only compliance,” the court said, refusing to give more time to the counsel to get instructions from the State.

The court had, in October, expressed shock over 31 “vanished” hills or hillocks in the Aravalli area and had asked the State to stop illegal mining in a 115.34-hectare area.