The government has imposed a ban on stone lifting from hills to protect country's ecological balance.

The decision was taken yesterday at an inter-ministerial meeting on "procuring stone, sand and mineral resources from different areas" at the Environment Ministry with Minister Shajahan Siraj in the chair, said an official release.

A committee, with joint secretary of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry as its convenor, was formed in the meeting to solve the legal complications in leasing of stone, sand and mineral resources in different areas and demarcation.

Other members of the committee are representatives from the Land Ministry, Water Resources Ministry, Forest Department, Environment Department and Soil Resources Development Institute.

Another five-member committee was constituted to solve the problem arising out of lifting stones from Jhinaigati in Sherpur district. Deputy Commissioner of Sherpur was made convenor of the committee.

Other members are Mymensingh Divisional Forest Officer and representatives from Department of Environment, Mineral Resources Bureau and Soil Resources Development Institute. M Mahmudul Huq MP will act as the advisor of the committee.

Both the committees will submit their respective reports within next one month.

State Minister for Mineral Resources AKM Mosharraf Hossain, State Minister for Environment and Forest Zafrul Islam Chowdhury, Whip M Zahed Ali Chowdhury, MPs of Sherpu-1 and 3 constituencies, Chief Forest Conservator Anwar Faruq and officials from Cabinet Division and other concerned ministries were present.