Hi
Railway department undertakes works through contractors for the construction of embankments. Huge quantitites of ordinary earth and murum/gravel are used for such constructions. Contractors bring the material from private lands. For such mining activity seigniorage charges are required to be paid as per "The Mines and Mineral (egulation and Development) Act.1957.
In this context I would like to know
- whether Railway department has any statuary obligation to collect the seigniorage charges from the bills of the contractor and pay to the State Government concerned?
- Otherwise, it is the sole responsibility of the contractor to pay the required seigniorage charges to the state government.