Quarry workers protest against lease of minor mineral rights in Ganderbal
Ganderbal Dec 30 : Hundrends of quarry workers of Wahidpora and Gangerhuma today hit streets here to protest against SRO -105 which regulates mining of minor minerals in J&K.
The people associated with quarrying in Ganderbal have time and again apposed SRO-105.Today the protesters assembled near Nallah Sindh in Wahidpora and raised slogans against authorities.
The protesters said that the authorities have dig the roads leading to quarry and ‘our livelihood has been snatched. This is our land and we have right on it.’
Imtiyaz Ahmad, a protester alleged that authorities are allowing contactors to use machines for quarrying and we are not allowed to work. Why this discrimination?
An official in Geology and Mining Department said that according to SRO-105 ; unregulated mining is Illegal and we have auctioned the minor minerals rights on lease in five mineral blocks of Ganderbal.
Sources said District administration has put in place section 144CrPC in the area of blocks to curb illegal mining.