Jaipur: The Department of Mines and Geology is set to undertake a major restructuring by abolishing its vigilance wing and merging its offices with the mining wing, according to departmental plans that are expected to be notified soon.The vigilance wing, which was established in 2014 to curb illegal mining and transportation and strengthen surveillance in mining areas, will be wound up as part of the overhaul announced during the state Budget Session. A senior official said the groundwork for implementing the restructuring has been completed and the formal notification for the restructuring is expected to be issued shortly.“Under the proposal, six offices of Superintending Mining Engineers (SMEs), 12 offices of Mining Engineers (MEs) and 20 offices of Assistant Mining Engineers (AMEs) functioning under the vigilance wing will be merged.”Along with this, 10 existing AME offices will be upgraded to ME offices, while 10 new AME offices will also be created to strengthen the department’s field presence.“The restructuring also includes the opening of new Mining Wing offices in select locations, replacing the existing vigilance set-up.”The proposal to dismantle the vigilance wing dates back to the previous Congress govt, when the department had prepared a similar restructuring plan. However, it was not implemented. After the BJP govt came to power, senior officials, including the then Mining Director, argued that the wing should be retained.According to departmental sources, the formation of the wing did not achieve the objectives for which it was created. Despite being tasked with checking illegal mining and transportation, the branch was unable to effectively curb violations or significantly improve government revenue.“Many of its offices operated from rented premises and frequently remained without permanent staff, with several sanctioned posts lying vacant for long periods,” the source added.
