Rajasthan govt to expedite auction of minor and major mine blocks

The Rajasthan government has decided to expedite delineation work for the auction of minor and major blocks in the state.

“At the same time, we have decided to take strict steps to recover the penalty amount in cases of illegal mining activities,” Mines Secretary Anandi said.

To prevent illegal mining, the state will prioritise preparing and auctioning as many mining blocks as possible, she said. The department has already prepared a monthly road map from June.

Anandi said drilling for the exploration of minerals in the state and analysis of reports would stop illegal mining activities of precious minerals and boost revenue and employment opportunities in the state.

She said senior officials would have to take on a supervisory role so that an effective monitoring system of all the activities related to the mineral department can be ensured.

The government has asked officials to develop a water harvesting system in the offices and areas of the mineral department. She also directed the officials to operate the e-file system effectively in departmental offices and improve the disposal time.

Rajasthan is one of the richest states in terms of availability and variety of minerals in the country, producing over 57 different minerals. The mines department earned a revenue of over Rs 7,490 crores during 2023-2024.

In April, the state’s mines department had drawn out a strategy to increase revenue during this financial year (FY25). “Though the official target has not been fixed for FY25 until now because of the model code of conduct due to Lok Sabha polls, we are sure to see a substantial increase in revenue during the current financial year,” an official in the mines department said.

According to officials of the mines department, the department has drawn out a plan aimed at ensuring daily monitoring by preparing a road map for exploration, drilling, preparing blocks and plots for auction, making an auction calendar, and revenue collection.

This year the state government plans to take up the work of exploration, drilling, and auction on a large scale so that scientific and legal mining can be promoted and the state can earn maximum revenue from the mining sector, the official said.