A scrutiny of records in Alwar, Jaipur, Sikar, Rajsamand and Udaipur revealed registration of 4,072 cases of illegal mining, transportation and storage of minerals, as well as violation of SC orders pertaining to the Aravalli hills.

JAIPUR: A whopping 98.87 lakh tonnes of minerals were illegally excavated in a period of five years in five Rajasthan districts, says a latest Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, which highlights rampant unlawful mining and gross violations in the desert state, including flouting of Supreme Court orders pertaining to the Aravalli hills.

The CAG report, tabled in the state Assembly on Tuesday, claims that the apex court directions regarding Aravalli hills were not followed by the state’s department of mines as mining leases falling within the mountain range area were granted and renewed. Even the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) granted clearance for mining leases despite the area falling under the Aravali hill range, it adds.

“We noticed serious violations of the orders of the Supreme Court of India as mining leases falling in the Aravalli mountain range were granted, renewed and extended. Besides, the MoEF also granted environmental clearances for mining lease despite the area falling in Aravalli hills,” the auditor said.

Rajasthan has a rich reserve of copper, lead, zinc, rock phosphate, soapstone, silica sand, limestone, marble and gypsum, and most of these minerals are found in the Aravalli mountain ranges, the auditor said.

The audit also castigated authorities claiming there was inadequate follow up of illegal mining cases, lack of deterrence due to delay in issuing of notices and non-implementation of policy measures.

According to the report, a scrutiny of the records of nine superintending mining engineers or mining engineers in five districts – Alwar, Jaipur, Sikar, Rajsamand and Udaipur –revealed that these offices registered 4,072 cases of illegal mining, transportation and storage of mineral during 2011-12 to 2016-17.

“Around 98.87 lakh metric tonnes of minerals were found to have been illegally excavated (during 2011-12 to 2016-17). The department, however, could recover only Rs 25.57 crore against the recoverable amount of Rs 204.50 crore,” the CAG report on the economic sector for the financial year ended March 31, 2017 said.