IT application a success in curbing illegal mining: Odisha

The indigenous IT application developed for management of minerals in the state has helped to curb illegal mining activities, Odisha government today said.
"Odisha's IT model has been highly appreciated in the Central Coordination and Empowered Committee meeting held on December 15, 2015 at Delhi. The Centre has advised other states to follow this model," Odisha Mines Director Deepak Mohanty said.
Stating that the Indian Bureau of Mines will now adopt it under the 'Mineral Conservation & Development Rules of 1988', Mohanty said Odisha's Integrated Mines and Mineral Management System (i3MS) has been a great success.
"Odisha's i3MS software developed and implemented in the state has proved very useful in monitoring of production, dispatch and transportation of minerals on real time basis," state Steel and Mines Secretary R K Sharma said.

The state has put in place a 24x7 online i3MS system.
All relevant central and state mining rules have been customized in to this software, Mohanty said adding that the software tracks end to end mineral transaction which is quantum of minerals produced, transported and received by the industries.

All the stakeholders like lessees, dealers and government departments have been brought on this portal, he said adding that it has also been integrated with RTO (regional transport office), Indian Railways, commercial tax, ports and treasury.
The daily production and dispatch is recorded on real time basis through this web based software. All the mineral transporting trucks have been put under GPS surveillance and the roads as well as mines have been geo-referenced, Mohanty said.

Claiming that the i3MS has been helpful in curtailing illegal mining in the state, Mohanty said: "Till now 392 electronic weigh bridges in 136 mines and 699 weigh bridges in 325 industries have been approved on line through this portal."
Similarly, 2,71,347 e-permits and 6,312 number of dealer licenses have been also granted through it. Around 2.4 crore trip sheets (transit pass for trucks) have been generated online through this system. This web site has now been customized for a mobile application providing the facility for tracking of minerals through mobile app, Mohanty said.
Odisha is the first state to have such a consolidated and robust IT application in mineral management.