JAMMU DEC 18 : J&K Govt enforces GPS, RFID tracking and e-Challan for all mineral transport vehicles, sets Republic Day compliance deadline to crush illegal mining.
Jammu, Dec 18: In a bold move to eradicate rampant illegal mining, the Jammu and Kashmir government has overhauled rules for minor mineral concessions, storage, and transport, mandating GPS-enabled vehicles with RFID registration and valid e-Challans for all haulers across the Union Territory. Mining Department Additional Chief Secretary Anil Kumar Singh issued the notification amending the 2016 J&K Minor Mineral Concession, Storage, Transportation and Prevention of Illegal Mining Rules under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, fixing January 26, 2026, as the cut-off for full compliance.
Revised Rule 71 bars any mineral concessionaire—mining lessees, licensees, permit holders, crusher units, or brick kilns—from moving materials like RBM, nallah muck, stone, boulders, sand, clay, crushed bajri, or bricks without department-registered GPS-fitted vehicles bearing unique RFID numbers and a QR-coded e-Challan in Form ‘A’ from the official portal. All extraction and transport machinery must register with the department, featuring live GPS for round-the-clock monitoring. GST-compliant invoices become compulsory for raw or processed mineral sales to buyers, closing evasion loopholes.
A successful GPS pilot in Samba district paves the way for UT-wide rollout by Republic Day, backed by awareness drives and rigorous checks. District-level Quick Response Teams (QRTs) armed with cutting-edge gadgets and logistics will pounce on violations, while Point-of-Sale (PoS) machines enable instant digital challans and compounding. The Integrated Mining Surveillance System (IMSS), partnering with BISAG-N, fuses GPS, RFID, e-Challan, weighbridge data, and public complaints into a real-time dashboard—already verifying 114 alerts, confirming 14 illegal cases, and slapping Rs 90 lakh fines.
Aiming Rs 300 crore revenue in FY 2025-26 (Rs 200 crore from minor minerals, Rs 100 crore allied activities), the department eyes major mineral inflows post-2026 limestone auctions. This tech overhaul aligns with LG Sinha’s development vision, boosting transparency amid J&K’s mineral wealth push (Rs 15-20K crore potential) while shielding state resources from notaries’ property scams and terror shadows in forests
