21 states have framed rules to curb illegal mining: Minister
State governments, he said, are empowered to make rules for prevention of illegal mining, transportation and storage of minerals.
New Delhi: Twenty one states, including mineral-rich Jharkhand and West Bengal, have framed rules to check illegal mining, Parliament was informed Wednesday.
"As per information provided by Indian Bureau of Mines, 21 state governments... have framed rules to curb illegal mining under the section 23C of the MMDR Act, 1957," Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
State governments, he said, are empowered to make rules for prevention of illegal mining, transportation and storage of minerals for both major and minor minerals and for purposes connected therewith, the minister said.
"Therefore, information regarding the cases of illegal mining is not maintained centrally," he said.
In fiscal 2018-19, there were 1.1 lakh cases of illegal mining for both major and minor minerals.