Rajasthan to curb illegal mining, monitor revenue collection daily

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The state’s mines department would focus on maximizing revenue collection by monitoring it daily, said T Ravikant, principal secretary, mines and geology department.

 

The department had collected over ₹7,963 crore revenue till March 3, 2025 with a growth rate of 24 per cent annually. In the financial year 2023-24 (FY24), the estimated revenue earned was over ₹7,460 crore, he said.

 

With 22 major minerals and 36 minor ones, Rajasthan is the country’s only producer of lead, zinc, wollastonite, selenite, calcite, and gypsum. The mining policy rolled out last year aims to take up mining’s contribution to the state’s gross domestic product from 3.4 per cent to 5 per cent by FY30 and further up to 6-8 per cent by FY47.

 

“We have told the officials that no negligence would be tolerated in revenue collection. All possible areas of revenue earning should be identified. Additional directors of the department have been asked to analyse revenue collection data daily and provide guidance by coordinating with the officers concerned,” Ravikant said, adding,  “We have given instructions to take effective action on illegal mining activities.”

 

An official of the department said the state government’s ‘zero-tolerance’ policy towards illegal mining would give confidence to legal miners as well as generate employment opportunities.

 

The government would set up auctions of mineral blocks of gravel and masonry stone to curb illegal mining in these areas. “We will take strict steps to recover the penalty in cases of illegal mining activities,” the official said.