Jaipur: Acting on the directives of Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, a large-scale joint operation will be launched against illegal mining, transportation and storage activities across 20 districts of the Aravalli mountain range from December 29, 2025 to January 15, 2026, government officials said on Saturday.
The joint operation will be carried out by the Mines, Revenue, Police, Transport and Forest departments in coordinated action under the supervision of district collectors.
The initiative reflects the state government’s zero-tolerance policy against illegal mining.
On Saturday, Chief Minister Sharma chaired a joint meeting of the Mines and Forest departments and issued clear instructions to take strict action against illegal mining activities.
Emphasising an “action mode” approach, the Chief Minister directed officials to ensure visible and effective results on the ground.
Rajasthan Principal Secretary of the Mines Department, T. Ravikant, held discussions with senior mining engineers at the Secretariat and conveyed the Chief Minister’s instructions, saying that illegal mining must be completely eradicated from the state.
In line with these directions, the decision was taken to launch a coordinated operation involving five departments in the 20 Aravalli districts.
Ravikant said the campaign will cover all aspects of illegal mining, including unlawful extraction, transportation and storage.
Under the guidance of district collectors, the operation will be conducted with close inter-departmental coordination.
Officials have been instructed to convene Special Investigation Team (SIT) meetings immediately under the chairmanship of the district collectors.
Ravikant also stressed that action should not be limited to intercepting illegal transportation alone, but must also identify and act against the source and locations of illegal activities to eliminate the problem at its roots.
“Districts severely affected by illegal mining will have vulnerable hotspots identified, where strict action including seizure of machinery will be undertaken.”
Clear instructions have been issued that no leniency will be tolerated during the campaign, and the strictest action as per law must be ensured.
The operation will be regularly monitored from the Udaipur headquarters and at the level of the Principal Secretary of the Mines Department.
Accountability of officers will be fixed, and any negligence will not be tolerated.
Officials have also been directed to publicise actions taken during the campaign through the media to send a strong message about the state government’s firm stance against illegal mining activities.
(IANS)
