In a decisive move to make the state’s mining sector more dynamic, transparent, and revenue-oriented, the Government of Rajasthan has set clear priorities. Chairing a high-level inter-departmental meeting at the Secretariat’s ‘Chintan Kaksh’ on Tuesday, Chief Secretary Shri V. Srinivas issued strict directives to operationalize auctioned mines at the earliest. He urged all concerned departments to step out of their traditional regulatory boundaries and actively adopt the role of ‘facilitators’ for industries and investors, ensuring that statutory approvals are granted swiftly and seamlessly.

Massive Boost to Revenue, Employment, and Investment

The Chief Secretary emphasized that the timely operationalization of auctioned mines will yield multi-dimensional benefits for the state’s economy. Once these mines begin functioning, they will attract significant fresh investments and create thousands of new direct and indirect employment opportunities for the local youth.

Furthermore, this will lead to a massive surge in state revenue. Notably, the Central Government also provides special incentive funds to states for successfully bringing auctioned mines into operation. Most importantly, promoting legal mining activities will automatically curb the menace of illegal mining, allowing the scientific and transparent extraction of the state’s precious minerals. Currently, Rajasthan leads the country, having successfully auctioned 101 major mineral blocks along with numerous minor mineral blocks.

Strict Timelines for Environmental and Forest Clearances

Delays in securing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) and inter-departmental permissions are often the biggest hurdles in commencing mining operations. Addressing this, the Chief Secretary gave strict instructions to the State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA). He mandated that the issuance of Environmental Clearances must be accelerated. A clear timeline should be established to ensure that entrepreneurs do not have to run from pillar to post, and all necessary formalities are completed in a single window.

The Forest Department was also directed to upload all crucial information regarding Forest NOCs, Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZ) clearly on its official portal. This will bring transparency and provide investors with upfront clarity. SEIAA Chairman Shri Munish Garg, who was present at the meeting, assured that the disposal of pending cases and the issuance of approvals at their level would be expedited.

Road Safety Priority: Mandatory Speed Governors and VTS in Dumpers

Alongside boosting mining activities, road safety remains a paramount concern. The Chief Secretary expressed deep concern over the frequent road accidents caused by speeding dumpers and heavy vehicles transporting minerals. To curb these accidents, it has been made mandatory to install ‘Speed Governors’ in all mineral transport vehicles.

Additionally, to prevent illegal transportation and strengthen the monitoring mechanism, a Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) will be installed in these vehicles. This VTS will be directly integrated with the servers of both the Mines and Transport Departments. Principal Secretary (Transport), Shri Bhawani Singh Detha, informed the panel that the department is continuously taking penal action against speeding vehicles using interceptors and is taking all possible concrete steps to regulate speed limits.

Inter-Departmental Coordination is the Key to Success

During the meeting, Additional Chief Secretary (Mines & Petroleum) Smt. Aparna Arora presented a detailed outline of departmental challenges. She clarified that operationalizing auctioned mines is a complex task requiring simultaneous permissions from multiple departments like Revenue, Forest, and Environment. Delays directly impact investments and the state exchequer. She noted that timely approvals are essential to unlock employment opportunities in the state.

The meeting also featured in-depth discussions on the possibilities of commencing mining activities in auctioned mines falling under the jurisdiction of the Jaipur and Jodhpur Development Authorities (JDA and JODA). Valuable suggestions were shared by several senior officials, including Additional Chief Secretary (Urban Development) Shri Alok Gupta, Special Secretary Mines Smt. Namrata Vrishni, SS Forest Shri Sudarshan, and SEIAA Member Secretary Shri Vijay N.

Disclaimer: This news article has been written for informational and public awareness purposes, based on official information from an administrative meeting organized by the Government of Rajasthan. For official guidelines, legal policies, or exact regulatory procedures related to mining, readers are advised to consult the official website of the Department of Mines and Geology, Government of Rajasthan.

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