CS reviews mining sector reforms, Directs stronger surveillance to curb illegal mining

Srinagar: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting to review the ongoing reforms in the mining sector and assess measures aimed at curbing illegal mining across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, Mining; Chairperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee; Divisional Commissioner, Jammu/Kashmir; Secretary, IT; IGP Jammu; Managing Director, Jammu and Kashmir Minerals Limited; Director, Geology and Mining; and other senior officers. The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir and Deputy Commissioners of various districts participated in the meeting through video conferencing.
During the recent meeting, the Chief Secretary assessed the progress of mining sector reforms focused on enhancing surveillance, curbing illegal mineral extraction, and increasing revenue. A live demonstration of the Integrated Mining Surveillance System (IMSS) was conducted, highlighting its role in monitoring vehicle movements transporting mining materials in Jammu and Kashmir. While the Chief Secretary acknowledged the initiative, he noted the need for improvements to strengthen checks against illegal activities. The Chief Secretary emphasized the importance of a robust technological framework, directing the department to collaborate with BISAG-N to develop effective triggers for detecting illegal mining. He called for weekly automated alerts to facilitate timely interventions and requested a clear timeline for system enhancements. In reviewing the e-auctioning of mineral blocks, he stressed the necessity of following up with the Union Ministry to expedite the auction process and urged district administrations to accelerate the clearance of minor mineral blocks. The meeting also addressed the operational status of identified minor mineral blocks, with 81 out of 235 currently operational. The Chief Secretary highlighted the potential revenue generation of approximately ₹57 Cr from upcoming mining leases and urged the examination of pending cases to operationalize non-active blocks. He reiterated the need for effective implementation of mining policy reforms and robust enforcement mechanisms to combat illegal mining. Additional Chief Secretary, Ashwani Kumar, reported on the ongoing upgrades to the IMSS in collaboration with BISAG-N, emphasizing the integration of the IMSS dashboard with e-challan and e-market systems for improved alert generation. The meeting also reviewed the installation of GPS tracking devices on mining vehicles, with 3,942 devices installed and 3,515 integrated into the IMSS. Enforcement measures have resulted in penalties totaling ₹1.10 Cr from violators, with on-spot penalties collected via PoS machines to enhance transparency. The mining sector has generated ₹137.27 Cr in revenue during the first two months of 2026, with ongoing discussions on revising penalties and operationalizing minor mineral leases to further boost revenue in the future.