Himachal Pradesh Industry Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan admitted that the cement plants operated by Ambuja and Ultratech in the area were “not following” mining rules and were “committing many violations.” (Source: FB)Himachal Pradesh Industry Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan informed the House that two major cement companies — Ultratech and Ambuja — have been indulging in certain environment violations especially in the area under Arki assembly in Solan.Replying to a query by Congress MLA from Arki Sanjay Awasthy during Question Hour, Chauhan admitted that the cement plants operated by Ambuja and Ultratech in the area were “not following” mining rules and were “committing many violations.”Awasthy alleged that pollution caused by Ultratech and Ambuja plants in Arki was resulting in health issues, while CSR money was not reaching affected areas. Sundernagar MLA Rakesh Jamwal also complained of pollution created by cement plants during night hours, causing serious health hazards.Chauhan assured the Assembly that the department will take action to curb these violations. He added that efforts are underway to ensure that Community Social Responsibility (CSR) funds are primarily spent in project-affected areas and in consultation with local MLAs and panchayats.To Awasthy’s querry on funds being spend by two mega cement plants under CSR, Chauhan said, “Ambuja Cement spent Rs 5.38 crore under CSR in the Arki area, while Ultratech spent Rs 93.57 lakh.”He added that the state has “very little control” over CSR funds, as complete data is maintained by the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs. “Efforts are being made to convince these companies to spend more in the affected panchayats,” he said.He informed the Assembly that Rs 13.95 crore had been collected in penalties from 21,182 illegal mining cases over the past two years till March 31, 2025.Story continues below this adMeanwhile, opposition MLAs and ruling party MLAs came face to face when answers of certain questions were not tabled in the house. BJP MLA from Una Satpal Singh Satti, who sought information on how many government employees were given extension after their retirement, accused the state government of hiding information, when the former said “information is being collected from concerned departments”.The opposition also attacked the state on the issue of opening new institutes but shutting down those which were opened during the BJP’s tenure. Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said, “We denotified some institutes, including schools, dispensaries, which were opened without conducting any field survey.”Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd