Karnataka cabinet approves proposal to hike construction stone mining royalty

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Cabinet on Friday approved a proposal to increase the royalty on construction stone mining from Rs 70 per metric tonne to Rs 80 per metric tonne.

The move is expected to generate additional annual revenue of Rs 311.55 crore for the state government.

Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said, “For each metric tonne of construction stones mined, the royalty has been increased from Rs 70 to Rs 80. This will help the state earn an additional Rs 311.55 crore annually.” Further, the Cabinet decided to introduce a one-time settlement scheme for entities that failed to pay royalties in the past.

Minister Patil revealed that penalties amounting to Rs 6,105 crore had been imposed but remained unrecovered due to objections raised by the defaulters.

“It has been over six years now, and the penalties could not be collected. Under the one-time settlement scheme, violators will have an opportunity to pay both penalties and royalties,” he added.

To avoid future disputes, the government has also approved the use of a Differential Geo Positioning System (DGPS) with drones in 11 districts. This initiative aims to enhance accuracy in monitoring and prevent conflicts in mining activities.