Rajasthan's Mines Corruption Unveiled: Illegal Activities in Bharatpur Exposed

The Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau has filed a case against state mines department officials, crusher owners, and royalty contractors for manipulating records to present illegal mining as legal, resulting in financial losses for the government.

The Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has filed charges against individuals from the state mines department, as well as several crusher owners and royalty contractors. The group allegedly portrayed illegal mining as legitimate, leading to significant government revenue losses.

The ACB's decision followed a preliminary investigation by its Bharatpur unit, sparked by complaints of misconduct involving old and invalid transit permits, or 'ravannas'. These allowed closed mines to be exploited illegally.

The inquiry reveals that department officials in Bharatpur collaborated with lease holders, crusher owners, and royalty contractors to extract large quantities of minerals illicitly. They then manipulated permit data to disguise these activities as lawful operations, causing substantial financial damage to the state. High-ranking officials, including former and current mining engineers and foremen, and various stakeholders such as Abhishek Tanwar, have been implicated in these activities. Charges are pursued under the Prevention of Corruption Act as the investigation continues.

(With inputs from agencies.)