Dehradun, Oct. 20 -- After Uttarakhand secured the second position in the country under Category C of the State Mining Readiness Index (SMRI) released by the Union Ministry of Mines, earning the state an incentive of Rs.100 crore for its performance in promoting sustainable and efficient mining practices, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit out at the Congress, saying it was "tight slap on the Opposition Congress and its propaganda based on misinformation". BJP state media in charge Manveer Singh Chauhan said the mining revenue figures were "historic" and that the Congress, which had been indulging in political propaganda on the issue, should now clarify its intentions. "The revenue generated in 2019-20 was less than Rs.400 crore. It was a complete loss-making venture, as the mafia benefited from the mining revenue. Now, the revenue is being channelled into the state treasury," he said. He said that Uttarakhand has been included in the list of eligible states for a Rs.100-crore incentive from the Centre for its superior performance. He said the Mining Readiness Index is a significant initiative of the central government to encourage and benchmark the performance of states in the mining sector. "In the financial year 2024-25, Uttarakhand generated unprecedented revenue of over Rs.1,000 crore from the mining sector," he said, adding that the achievement was made possible through e-governance and digital initiatives, transparent and accountable systems, strong financial discipline, and effective leadership. "The Dhami government ensured complete transparency in the allocation of mining leases and made the mineral transportation system efficient through digital means. Strict action was taken against illegal mining, curbing revenue loss effectively," he said. Chauhan said the accomplishment demonstrates that the state government has succeeded in striking a balance between environmental protection and economic progress. "Due to the Dhami government's transparent policies, the state is progressing rapidly and Uttarakhand will certainly emerge as the best state in the current decade," he added. State Congress vice president Suryakant Dhasmana said the government was patting itself on the back merely for generating revenue through unscientific mining. "Earning revenue by allowing illegal and unscientific mining should not be the government's agenda. The index does not reflect the real situation. The disasters witnessed in rivers of Dehradun and other parts of the state in this year's monsoon are a direct result of such unscientific mining," he said. Officials said the SMRI is an evaluative and ranking framework introduced by the Government of India to encourage reforms, transparency, and efficiency in the mining sector. It serves as a benchmarking tool to assess how well states are prepared to facilitate mining activities, particularly for non-coal minerals. The index evaluates state performance across several parameters, including auction performance, operationalisation speed of new mines, exploration initiatives, and adoption of sustainable mining practices. To ensure fair comparison, states have been grouped into three categories based on their geological potential and mineral endowment- Category A (mineral-rich states), Category B (moderately endowed states), and Category C (lesser-endowed states). According to the latest rankings, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Tripura have emerged as the top three performers in Category C . In Category A, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat took the top three positions, while Goa, Uttar Pradesh, and Assam led in Category B....