•    Dimapur forest division to collect royalty 
•    Royalty rates for Stone fixed at Rs 38 per cubic metre, Rs 45 for Sand

Dimapur, April 10 (MExN): The prolonged tussle over which department under the Government of Nagaland – Environment, Forest & Climate Change (EF&CC) and Geology & Mining, will collect royalties of sand and stone has been resolved in favour of the former. 

In addition to forest products already under its purview, the EF&CC shall collect royalty on sand and stone as per the Revised Forest Royalty Rates of 2021 with immediate effect, stated a notification from the department on April 4. 

The notification was in pursuance of the decision by the State Cabinet meeting on February 22, 2022, it said.

The February 22 meeting was held to decide whether to accept the report and recommendations submitted by Secretary, Justice & Law and 2 Senior Additional Advocates General-Nagaland regarding “Ownership & Transfer of Land and its Resources Act, 1990 - Forest royalty collection disputes between Forest & Geology Department.” 

“The Cabinet discussed and decided that in addition to forest products already under its purview, Forest department should collect royalty on sand & stone,” stated the minutes of the meeting, then issued by the Cabinet Secretariat on February 22. 

Meanwhile, following the April 4 notification resolving the “prolonged confusion of collection of royalty of sand & stone” between the two departments, the office of the Divisional Forest Officer, Dimapur in a press release informed that the division shall perform the duty in accordance with the April 4 notification.

It further informed that the collection would be done on the basis of the ‘Revised Forest Royalty Rates 2021’ issued by the department on November 24, 2021. 

As per the revised rates, “Stone/Boulder/Pebbles/Gravel/Stone Chips/Dust” will attract a royalty rate of Rs 38 per cubic metre (m3), it is Rs 45/m3 for Sand.

While soil, clay and earth have a royalty rates of Rs 7.5/m3, it is fixed at Rs 30 per quintal in the case of charcoal.