Jaipur: The Indian Bureau of Mines has provided significant relief to mining lease holders in Rajasthan, according to a notification issued by the central govt.Now, small mine owners in the state will no longer have to make repeated visits to higher offices for the approval of their mining plans, thereby easing a long-standing procedural burden that often led to delays and inconvenience.The order issued by Controller General of the IBM, reads “Mining plans for quartz, feldspar, mica and barites mines with a lease area of five hectares or less can now be directly approved from the regional offices located in Udaipur and Ajmer, a move that is aimed at improving administrative efficiency, reducing delays in clearances, and decentralising the approval process for smaller mining operations across the state.”Earlier, this system was largely centralised under a limited jurisdiction, primarily linked to Ajmer, but it has now been reorganised and divided into two clearly defined administrative zones, with the revised structure coming into immediate effect following the issuance of the notification. “The approval jurisdiction has been decentralised based on the geographical location of mining leases, ensuring faster processing at the regional level while reducing the administrative burden on central offices,” added officials.Under the Udaipur regional office, mining plans for leases up to five hectares located in Salumbar, Amet, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Nimbahera, Sirohi, Banswara, Pratapgarh, Dungarpur, Sojat City, Barmer, Pali, Jalore, Balotra, and Jaisalmer districts will now be processed and approved at the Udaipur office itself.Mining plans for quartz, feldspar, mica and barites mines located in Bhilwara, along with all other remaining districts and urban areas of Rajasthan not covered under the Udaipur jurisdiction, will fall under the Ajmer regional office, where approvals will continue to be granted, with the bifurcation expected to streamline operations and improve turnaround time for applicants.
