Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reviewed the performance of the Geology and Mining Department on Wednesday and issued important instructions to officials.
He highlighted that revenue collection for the financial year 2024-25 stood at Rs 2,407.20 crore, with potential for further growth. The CM instructed departmental and district-level officers to work proactively to improve revenue collection.
He directed that accountability for revenue collection should be fixed for district magistrates and district mining officers.
He pointed out significant opportunities for revenue growth in mining activities in districts like Sonbhadra, Banda, Kaushambi, and Mahoba. He also instructed officials to analyse districts with low revenue collection and implement measures to increase revenue.
He called for expediting decisions on pending applications at the government, departmental, and district levels.
Additionally, he suggested exploring other ways to boost revenue generation.
The CM issued strict directives to prevent illegal mining in river catchment areas, emphasising the use of technology for effective enforcement.
He instructed that vehicles operating in approved mining zones must be equipped with Vehicle Tracking Systems (VTS) to ensure that mining activities are confined to authorised areas. This will also simplify monitoring for transporters.
The chief minister said that API integrations have been done with Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh to check the legality of vehicles transporting sub-minerals from other states to the state.
To curb illegal mining, he directed district-level task forces to conduct regular raids, ensuring the presence of departmental, administrative, and police officials during operations.
He also mandated proper videography of these raids to maintain transparency and accountability.
The CM emphasised the need for accountability among officials at various levels within the department. He directed that all pending matters at the departmental level be resolved promptly.
He instructed that work plans for the year be prepared between June and August to facilitate timely and efficient execution.
Addressing transport officials, he stressed the need for swift actions to prevent road accidents and ordered strict measures to ensure overloaded vehicles are not parked along roadsides.
He mentioned that 55 check gates have been established in districts to curb tax evasion and overloading. He directed the installation of weigh-in-motion systems at these gates and insisted that overloading be stopped right at the source.
CM Yogi stated that the Union Ministry of Mines has instructed the preparation of a State Mining Readiness Index. He directed officials to ensure timely availability of necessary information through coordination among various departments.
The CM also suggested utilising soil, sand, and silt from riverbanks for brick production, highlighting it as an effective step toward environmental conservation. He mentioned that fertile soil should not be used for brick kilns.
