Jaipur, Nov 11 (IANS): The mining sector in Rajasthan has been on a steady rise and in the initial six months of the current fiscal, the state government's revenue has surpassed the earnings of 2019-20 in the same period.

In the current fiscal, the Rajasthan Mining Department has recorded a total revenue of Rs 2641.45 crore till the month of October. This is nearly Rs 626 cr more than recorded in the same period last year and Rs 616 cr higher than the revenue in the same period during 2019-20. The nearly 25 percent rise from pre-COVID levels became possible with the adoption of modern mining techniques and strict monitoring to minimise losses.

Expressing delight at the revenue growth, Dr Subodh Agarwal, Additional Chief Secretary, Mines and Petroleum and Energy Department, said that efforts are being made to make it the maximum revenue generating sector for the state government. He said that effective measures have been initiated to curb illegal mining and efforts are also being made to increase transparency in the sector.

The rise in electronic transit pass or e-rawannas has been a major achievement in this direction. An average of over 8 lakh e-rawannas are issued in the state every month.

The department has implemented strict measures against illegal mining and storage of minerals. In the present fiscal year, 5384 such cases have been registered by the department. The department has also seized 5472 vehicles and machinery and charged Rs 49.01 crore in penalty.

Supportive policies of the state government and their effective implementation has been able to generate a conducive environment for the mining sector. The sector thus has been able to rise above the pandemic challenges and is contributing more revenue for the state. In October 2021, revenue collection from the sector was recorded at Rs 516.18 cr that is considerably higher than the revenue of Rs 390.3 cr recorded in October 2019, he added.