The government is to ask the Office of Attorney General (OAG) to study, from a legal point of view, the feasibility of handing over the management of surface collection of sand and stones to the Department of Geology and Mines.
The agriculture and forests minister, Yeshey Penjor, said this at the Friday Meet last week.
The Department of Forests and Park Services looks after the surface collection of sand and stones at present.
“The Department of Geology and Mines of the economic affairs ministry says it’s their mandate but the Department of Forests claims otherwise. During the 6th cabinet meeting, the Department of Geology and Mines sent us a report in this regard,” Lyonpo shared.
He added that according to the Forest and Nature Conservation Act of Bhutan 1995, it is the mandate of the Department of Forests.
“So, cabinet decided to involve OAG to get a legal opinion on the matter.”
