Jaipur: Royalty collection contract for masonry stone in Neem Ka Thana and Patan mining belts has found no takers, despite four rounds of tendering since the contract expired on March 31.The mines department is now preparing to send a fresh proposal to the directorate after the latest bid attempt on May 15 also failed to attract any bidders, even after the reserve amount was slashed to Rs 103 crore.The tender process began on March 12 with an e-auction pegged at a reserve price of Rs 125.9 crore. However, the auction scheduled for March 20 received no bids. The reserve amount was then reduced to Rs 113.31 crore on the same day. A second attempt on March 28 and a third on April 25, both with the revised reserve price, also failed.To maintain revenue flow in the absence of a contractor, the department deployed its personnel to collect royalty. However, the collection took a hit—April’s revenue stood at Rs 7 crore, down by nearly 25% compared to previous figures. Officials attribute the shortfall to staff shortage and operational limitations.In the previous cycle, the contract was awarded for Rs 109 crore, with masonry stone accounting for Rs 95 crore. The remaining amount came from contracts for other minerals—quartz, feldspar, silica (Rs 11 crore), and marble (Rs 3 crore). This year, the department broadened the scope by including silica, granite, dolomite, and marble in the bidding package. tnn
