Bhubaneswar, Nov 28: The Odisha government has collected ₹27.4 crore in penalties from violators involved in the illegal extraction of minor minerals, including sand, up to September of the current financial year, Steel and Mines Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena informed the Odisha Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
Replying to a query, Jena stated that the state had collected ₹48.4 crore in penalties during the 2024–25 fiscal year, attributing the success of the crackdown to sustained enforcement efforts such as raids, vehicle seizures, and strict penal actions aimed at curbing illegal sand mining.
According to official data, the government conducted a total of 4,426 raids across Odisha in the 2024–25 fiscal year, and 2,592 raids up to September this year. These operations resulted in the seizure of 4,676 vehicles last fiscal year, with 3,866 vehicles seized so far in the current fiscal.
In terms of penalty collection, Balasore district topped the list in 2024–25, collecting ₹7.17 crore, followed by Mayurbhanj with ₹5.21 crore, Rayagada with ₹4.52 crore, and Cuttack with ₹4.31 crore. For the current year, up to September, Keonjhar emerged as the highest collector with ₹5 crore, trailed by Balasore at ₹3.58 crore, Jajpur at ₹2.95 crore, and Koraput at ₹2.1 crore.
The minister also clarified that the government has not received any reports linking illegal sand extraction to riverbank erosion.
To prevent further illegal mining activities, the state has implemented a range of measures. These include GPS-based demarcation of sand mining lease areas, pillar-based boundary markings to define extraction zones, and the installation of CCTV cameras at sand sources. Additionally, drone surveys are being conducted where excessive excavation is suspected. Lessees are now required to maintain buffer zones along riverbanks and designate safety zones within lease areas where mining activities are prohibited.
The government also stated that equipment and vehicles used in illegal extraction are seized, and penalties are imposed as per law. To strengthen ground-level monitoring, district-level task forces have been established, alongside sub-divisional and tehsil-level committees comprising officials from various departments such as revenue, mining, forest, and police.
