Adopt zero tolerance approach towards illegal mining: Dy CM to Officers

Srinagar, July 02: Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Choudhary, today reiterated the Government’s firm commitment to completely ban illegal mining activities across Jammu and Kashmir.He made these remarks while chairing a high-level review meeting of the Geology and Mining Department at the Civil Secretariat, Srinagar.In a statement issued here, the Dy CM emphasized the importance of taking stringent action against the violators to safeguard the region’s natural mineral resources. He directed the officials to adopt a zero tolerance approach towards illegal mining, ensuring a complete ban on such activities.The Dy CM instructed the District Mineral Officers to take full control of all mining resources while keeping strict monitoring and vigilance on the ground. He warned that any laxity or negligence, in this regard, would invite disciplinary action as per the law.Underscoring the significance of protecting the public infrastructure, the Deputy CM directed the officers to closely monitor all functional mining blocks to ensure that critical infrastructure such as bridges, roads and water supply schemes remain unaffected.“Immediately cancel the licenses of functional blocks if any damage to infrastructure is reported and impose penalties on the responsible firms,” he instructed the officials.He also directed the department to expedite the auctioning process of mineral resources strictly as per the existing rules and regulations, while ensuring robust enforcement and strict compliance with both the Central and UT mining Acts and Rules.The meeting featured a detailed presentation on the status of exploration and extraction of key minerals including limestone, granite, blue sapphire, gypsum, lithium and coal. The officials informed that 36 major mining leases for limestone and 233 minor mineral leases have been issued, so far.To further strengthen enforcement, the Dy CM called for establishment of a robust monitoring mechanism involving multi-departmental district-level task forces, flying squads, informant networks, checkpoints and e-challan systems to curb the illegal mining effectively.Highlighting the potential of the mining sector, the Deputy CM stressed on promotion of mineral-based industries to enhance employment opportunities and revenue generation.He was informed that the department has generated Rs. 16.79 crore revenue through the compounding of vehicles and machinery involved in illegal mining and transportation, with a total of 6,219 seizures recorded during the financial year 2024–25. Besides, the department has recorded a revenue generation of Rs. 150.49 crore during the same period. Additionally, gypsum mining has earned a revenue of Rs. 438 lakh in 2025–26.The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary Mining, Anil Kumar Singh, Director Geology and Mining, Suraj Prakash Rukwal, MD JKLM Pawan Kumar, Special Secretary Mining Dr. Suraya Fatima Tak, DMOs and other senior officers of the department.