Industries Minister Harshvardhan Chauhan on Friday assured the Assembly that strict action would be taken against cement plants violating environmental and mining regulations in Himachal Pradesh.
He said departmental teams would be deputed for inspections, and any violations would attract legal proceedings.
Chauhan admitted that cement factories often flout environmental rules by releasing smoke during night operations.
He added that the state government amended its mining policy on February 29, 2024, with the objective of reducing environmental damage, conserving minerals, ensuring scientific mining, boosting revenue, and curbing illegal extraction.
Over the past two years, 21,182 cases of illegal mining and transportation have been detected, with fines amounting to Rs 13.95 crore imposed, he said.
On the issue of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the minister informed that Ambuja Cement had spent Rs 5.38 crore and Ultratech Rs 93.57 lakh in the Arki area under CSR activities.
However, he noted that the state has little direct control over CSR funds as these are regulated by the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs. He assured the House that efforts were being made to persuade companies to spend CSR funds in affected regions, and he would personally hold talks with plant managements.
During Question Hour, Congress MLA Sanjay Awasthi alleged that cement industries in his constituency were openly flouting environmental norms.
He demanded that leased land given to industries should be returned to families once it was no longer required. Awasthi also stressed that CSR funds must be utilized in the same areas where industries operate.
MLA Ram Kumar Chaudhary argued that multinational companies should be directed to spend CSR funds locally instead of diverting them elsewhere. Similarly, BJP MLA Trilok Jamwal raised concerns about CSR spending by the ACC factory in his constituency and questioned how much work was undertaken by companies during lean production periods.
Responding, Chauhan assured members that irregularities in cement factories would be addressed. He said the government would ensure that both CSR and DMFT (District Mineral Foundation Trust) funds were spent in affected panchayats, with oversight from district administrations and inputs from elected representatives.
In response to another set of questions, the Industries Minister clarified that the Chief Minister Swavalamban Yojana would not be discontinued. He said the government would first clear pending cases before releasing subsidies for new applicants.
He informed the House that up to July 31, 2025, over the past three years, 3,373 projects had been supported with Rs 594.73 crore under the Swavalamban Yojana, 123 projects with Rs 2.19 crore under the Startup Yojana, and 4,982 beneficiaries had received Rs 180.34 crore under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme.
So far, 4,253 beneficiaries under the Swavalamban Yojana have received full subsidy, 4,023 beneficiaries have received 60 percent subsidy, while 1,494 cases remain pending. He further stated that in 2025, 35 fresh applications were received, though none have been approved yet.