Forest department to collect royalty on sand, stone

The tussle between Geology & Mining and the Environment, Forests and Climate Change (EF&CC) departments over collection of royalties on sand and sandstone has been finally resolved after the State Cabinet decided to let EF&CC department collect the royalty.
In a notification, commissioner & secretary R. Asenla Keitzar informed that the cabinet during its meeting on February 22, 2022 decided that EF&CC department, in addition to forest products already under its purview, shall collect royalty on sand and stone as per the Revised Forest Royalty Rates of 2021.
The department also notified about the revised rates for several items. As per the revised rates, stone, boulder, pebbles, gravel, stone chips, dust would cost Rs. 38 per cubic metre (m3) while sand was fixed at Rs. 45/m3. Royalty for soil, clay and earth is Rs 7.5/m3.
Further, special class (teak) rate fixed at Rs. 63 per cft while items under class A-I was Rs. 36 per cft. Those under class A-II would cost Rs. 32 per cft, class B– Rs. 27 per cft, class C (all timber not included in special class) Rs. 20 per cft.