Samruddhi Mahamarg: Revenue Deptt for recovery of 10% of mineral royalty from contractors
   Date :28-Jun-2021

Samruddhi Mahamarg_1 
 
 
Staff Reporter :
 
Revenue and Forests Department of State Government has asked Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), which is executing the ambitious Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Mahamarg project, to deposit 10 per cent of the mineral royalty charges with District Mineral Foundation (DMF). Earlier, this project was granted exemption from payment of these charges. Ramesh Chavan, Joint Secretary, Revenue and Forest Department, has issued a letter in this regard to Managing Director of MSRDC on June 21. This has become a talking point within MSRDC as well as among the contractors who have been working on various components of the construction of Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Mahamarg project.
 
As per the notification issued by Revenue and Forest Department on November 14, 2018, exemption was granted from payment of royalty charges on excavation of minor minerals to be used in construction of the Samruddhi Mahamarg project. Industries, Energy, and Labour Department had issued another notification on September 1, 2016, vide which DMFs were formed in various districts of Maharashtra. Later on, the said department through another notification issued on May 6, 2019, had issued directions to contractors/executing agencies for depositing 10 per cent of royalty charges with DMFs. However, Samruddhi Mahamarg project was still exempted from this clause.
 
According to Altaf Ahmed, President, Vidarbha Quarry Owners’ Welfare Association, taking advantage of exemption to the project, even the companies engaged in construction were not depositing the said amount with the DMFs. This amount ran into crores of rupees, he alleged. “Vidarbha Quarry Owners’ Welfare Association relentlessly followed up the issue, got all the necessary information under RTI Act from MSRDC. We took up the matter with Revenue Minister, who has directed MSRDC to make the payment. We thank the Revenue Minister for the same,” he said.
 
Now, according to Altaf Ahmed, the contractors engaged in Samruddhi Mahamarg construction works will have to pay Rs 40/- per brass towards DMF fund for all the minerals used in the construction of the project. He said that all districts through which Samruddhi Mahamarg was passing, would benefit as these funds would be utilised for social projects there. It was learned that MSRDC would recover the said amount from contractors concerned and then deposit the same with the respective DMFs.