Rajasthan ACB books mines dept officials for illegally mining through invalid permits

Jaipur, Jan 13 (PTI) Rajasthan's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered a case against officials and staff of the state mines department along with crusher owners and royalty contractors for allegedly showing illegal mining as legal and causing loss to government revenue, officials said on Tuesday.

According to the ACB, the action was taken after a preliminary inquiry by the ACB Bharatpur unit following complaints that closed mines were being misused for illegal mining through the use of old and invalid transit permits ('ravannas').

The inquiry found that officials of the mines department in Bharatpur, in connivance with lease holders, crusher owners and royalty contractors, illegally extracted lakhs of tonnes of minerals and showed the mining as legal by misusing permits, thereby causing financial loss to the state.

Those named in the FIR include Ramniwas Mangal, then mining engineer, Bharatpur, currently posted in Kota; Virendra Kumar, mining foreman (Grade II); Rajendra Singh, then mining engineer; Sanju Singh, then surveyor; Bhim Singh, then mining foreman (Grade I); lease holder Abhishek Tanwar; crusher owners and royalty contractor.

Based on the findings, a case has been registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act and further investigation is underway, the officials said. PTI SDA KSS KSS