Jaipur: The Rajasthan govt has stepped up efforts to revive non-operational mines to boost regulated mineral production, curb illegal mining and meet a revenue target of Rs 14,001 crore this financial year—39% higher than last year’s Rs 10,394 crore.“In a recent review, officials were directed to identify dormant mining areas and fast-track their conversion into active production units through structured planning and auctions. There are nearly 800–900 such mines in the state,” a senior official said.The mines department is focusing on mineral exploration, marking boundaries and preparing plots and blocks for auction of both major and minor minerals. Officials have also been told to keep auction-ready plots and blocks prepared in advance to speed up the start of operations after auctions.“Production is being planned to resume in closed mines. To promote legal mining, mineral exploration, delineation, and preparation of plots and blocks for auction must be carried out. Pre-embedded plots and blocks should be prepared. Auctioned mineral blocks and plots must be made operational,” an official said.Sources said illegal mining continues in some closed blocks, contributing to revenue losses. The government is prioritising tighter monitoring, clearer boundaries and stricter enforcement to plug leakages.Separately, field officers have been asked to explain mining leases that have recorded zero mineral dispatch over the past two years. “As per data received from the online portal, no dispatch has been recorded from certain mining leases between April 16, 2024, and April 15, 2026. Concerned officers must clearly state the reasons for zero dispatch from such leases,” the order said.Officials have been directed to submit detailed reports with supporting data in prescribed formats within a fixed timeline.
