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Outcome of efforts to curb illegal mining by States
By PIB Delhi
Section 23C of Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act (MMDR Act) 1957, empowers the State Governments to frame rules to prevent illegal mining and the State Governments may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make such rules for preventing illegal mining, transportation and storage of minerals and for the purposes connected therewith. Hence, control of illegal mining comes under the legislative and administrative jurisdiction of the State Governments.
Further, Section 30B of the MMDR Act, 1957 provides for constitution of Special courts by the State Governments for the purposes of providing speedy trial of offenses for contravention of the provisions of sub-section (1) or sub-section (1A) of Section 4 of the Act. Section 30C of the Act provides that such Special Courts shall be deemed to be a Court of Session.
As per quarterly returns on illegal mining (both for major and minor minerals) furnished by the various State Governments to the Indian Bureau of Mines, a Sub-ordinate Office of Ministry of Mines, the State-wise number of cases of Illegal mining for the year 2022-23 is given at Annexure-I.
ANNEXURE-I
S.No State Illegal mining cases 2022-23 * FIRLodged (Nos.)* Court Cases Filed (Nos.)* Vehicle Seized (No.)* Fine realized by State Govt. (Rs. Lakh)* 1. Andhra Pradesh 4296 0 0 232 7312.55 2. Goa 1 0 0 0 0 3. Gujarat 4886 28 13 3551 7656.69 4. Himachal Pradesh 1934 0 189 3 50.08 5. Jammu & Kashmir 2667 235 8 2828 620.01 6. Jharkhand 1626 569 253 1187 312.15 7. Karnataka 2960 384 150 340 1546.18 8. Kerala 3671 0 0 0 6840.16 9. Madhya Pradesh 3901 4 1584 0 27343.25 10. Maharashtra 3607 190 0 483 4323.98 11. Odisha 7 0 0 1 7.75 12. Rajasthan 7645 856 39 5511 8147.56 13. Sikkim 28 1245 21 1017 22.40 14. Tamilnadu 4495 0 0 0 743.12 15. Telangana 17938 175 674 0 7221.83 16. Uttar Pradesh 757 0 0 0 256.26
*Data from 1st April 2022 to 30th September 2022
This information was given by the Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Shri Pralhad Joshi in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
