CS reviews progress, future plans of Mining Deptt

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting to review the operations and chart out a future strategy for the Department of Geology and Mining.

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The meeting witnessed a detailed discussion on reforms, illegal mining control, mineral block operations, and revenue enhancement. The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary, Mining Anil Kumar Singh; Director, Geology and Mining; Managing Director, J&K Minerals Ltd; and other senior officials. Chief Secretary Dulloo emphasized the urgent need to curb illegal mining activities by leveraging modern technology. He directed the department to implement GPS tracking, RFID tagging, geo-fencing, and real-time monitoring systems to track mining operations and generate actionable alerts against violators. "There must be strong deterrence against habitual offenders to ensure compliance and transparency," he stressed.He also called for expediting the issuance of Letters of Intent (LoIs) for inoperational mineral blocks and directed the department to coordinate closely with the Union Ministry of Mines for early assessment and auctioning of newly identified mineral sites. Dulloo highlighted the need to emulate best practices from other progressive states and UTs, with a focus on maximizing revenue from the mining sector. He noted that the District Mineral Foundation Trust (D