District Admn Cracks Down on Illegal Mining: 11 Vehicles Seized, ₹6.72 Lakh Fine Collected

Jamshedpur: The East Singhbhum administration has intensified its crackdown on illegal mining activities across the district, with 11 vehicles seized, three FIRs registered, and fines amounting to ₹6.72 lakh collected during inspection drives conducted last month.

The details were shared during a meeting of the District Mining Task Force held at the Collectorate Auditorium under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Rajiv Ranjan. Officials informed the meeting that 10 inspection drives were conducted over the last month, resulting in the seizure of 104 tons of illegally extracted sand and 88 tons of stone chips.

Reviewing the actions being taken against illegal mining, transportation, and storage of minerals, the Ranjan directed officials to continue intensive and uninterrupted enforcement drives against illegal sand extraction from rivers, unlawful mining in forest areas, operation of vehicles without registration numbers, and overloaded vehicles.

The Deputy Commissioner stated that illegal mining not only causes significant revenue losses for the government but also disrupts the ecological balance and damages the environment. He directed all Circle Officers and Police Station In-charges to maintain vigilance and take immediate action against offenders.

During the meeting, the District Mining Officer informed officials about the compounding fees prescribed by the State Government for illegal transportation of minerals. According to the notified rates, a fine of ₹50,000 has been fixed for tractors with trolleys, ₹1 lakh for Matador and light trucks such as 407/408 models, ₹2 lakh for six-wheeler full-body trucks, and ₹3 lakh for hydraulic dumpers and larger vehicles. A penalty of ₹5 lakh has been prescribed for cranes, boats, excavators, loaders, drilling machines, compressors, and other heavy machinery involved in illegal mining activities.