Jaipur: Aiming at enforcing a zero-tolerance policy against illegal mining, state authorities conducted 314 operations over the period from April 2 to April 8, targeting illegal mining, mineral transportation, and storage and seized 152 vehicles and machinery, an official said.
The official further added that more than 24,461 tonnes of illegally stored minerals were confiscated across the state.
“Additionally, 43 FIRs were registered and 26 arrests were made, underscoring the state’s commitment to cracking down on these unlawful activities,” the official said.
Meanwhile, Principal Secretary of the Mines Department, T. Ravikant, said that the rigorous enforcement actions are in strict accordance with the government’s policy to combat illegal mining.
Additional Director Vigilance, PR Ameta, has been designated as the nodal officer at the headquarters level to ensure streamlined efforts across all regions.
In Beawar, Mining Engineer Jagdish Mehrawat led operations that resulted in the seizure of a record 7,513 tonnes of illegally stored minerals, with nine operations imposing a total fine of Rs 92.16 lakh.
In Udaipur, the efforts were equally intense, and ME Asif Ansari’s team conducted 30 actions, while another unit under the guidance of Additional Director Mahesh Mathur executed 66 operations, seizing 1,729.99 tonnes of minerals, registering 10 FIRs, making 8 arrests, and confiscating 18 vehicles.
A parallel team under Additional Director Yogendra Singh Sahwal and Devendra Gaud also made significant progress, and got 10 FIRs registered, five accused were arrested, and 52 vehicles and pieces of machinery were seized, alongside a substantial recovery of fines.
Bhilwara saw 39 operations conducted by a team comprising officers from Bhilwara, Bijolia, Chittor, and Nimbahera, resulting in the seizure of 938 tonnes of minerals, with fines imposed at Rs 30.53 lakh and Rs 34.35 lakh recovered.
In Kota, senior officer Avinash Kuldeep oversaw 30 operations, during which 7,343 tonnes of minerals were seized, fines exceeding Rs 107 lakh were imposed, and more than Rs 21 lakh was recovered.
In Jaipur, under the leadership of senior officer NS Shaktiwat, 24 operations were completed, resulting in the seizure of 519 tonnes of minerals, with fines of Rs 15.43 lakh imposed and Rs 13.50 lakh recovered.
Additional operations in Jaipur under Vigilance officer Pratap Meena involved seven actions that led to the recovery of fines amounting to Rs 5.75 lakh.
Meanwhile, in Ajmer, SME Jai Gurubakhsani directed 25 operations, seizing 8,160 tonnes of minerals and imposing fines exceeding Rs 99 lakh while recovering over Rs 7 lakh along with the seizure of 20 vehicles.
An official said that teams in Bikaner, Bharatpur, and Rajsamand also played important roles in the statewide crackdown, adding that notably, a joint operation involving Jaipur and Alwar teams showcased a targeted approach in curbing illegal activities.
He said that the robust actions taken over the past week reflect the state’s unwavering commitment to halting illegal mining operations and protecting its natural resources.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely and aim to reinforce strict adherence to mining regulations across all regions, said officials.
(IANS)
