Jaipur: Mining stakeholders have raised concerns over massive penalties being reflected in leaseholders’ online accounts due to discrepancies between historical mining lease records and recent drone survey data, with some accounts showing penalties running into hundreds of crores of rupees.Industry representatives said technical inconsistencies in drone surveys, incorrect online coordinates and boundary demarcation errors created legal and financial challenges for mine operators.The issues were taken up at a high-level meeting convened by the Directorate of Mines and Geology to discuss proposed procedures for resolving survey-related disputes and anomalies in online records.A stakeholder present at the meeting said, “Differences between historical lease records and recent drone survey data have resulted in substantial penalties. We have requested the formation of a state-level committee comprising departmental officials, mining engineers and drone experts to address technical disputes and develop long-term solutions.”Chaired by Director of Mines and Geology Mahavir Prasad Meena, the meeting was attended both physically and through video conferencing by mining entrepreneurs and stakeholders from across Rajasthan.“It focused on issues arising under Rule 84A of the Rajasthan Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 2017, including boundary demarcation errors, incorrect coordinates displayed on the online system and discrepancies generated through drone-based surveys. Suggestions were sought on the proposed SOP for addressing such cases,” the official said.Representatives of the industry argued that drone technology should not be treated as the sole basis for regulatory action. “A drone can map the surface, but it cannot assess geological conditions or determine mineral quality,” they said.They also said water-filled pits during the monsoon could prevent accurate measurement of depths below the water surface, while vegetation and overburden dumps could distort digital elevation models, leading to incorrect volume calculations. Stakeholders also said strong winds, dust, low visibility and signal disruptions in mining areas could affect data quality.They also raised concerns that identical survey data processed through different software platforms could generate varying volume estimates because of differences in algorithms.Leaseholders urged the department not to treat variations between old records and modern drone data as automatic violations. “Penalties or recoveries should not be imposed solely on the basis of drone calculations,” representatives said, demanding prior notice to leaseholders and mandatory joint field verification before any action is taken.
