Bhubaneswar: Enforcement squads have been formed at the district and state levels to check illegal activities of the mining mafia in all 13 mining circles of the state, steel and mines minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena said in a written reply to the assembly.
Responding to a question raised by MLA Amar Kumar Nayak on steps being taken to check smuggling of minor minerals, Jena said that the state and district level enforcement squads are undertaking regular enforcement drives and imposing penalty.

Jena said additional proposals are there to form state-level enforcement squads, district-level task force, tehsil-level enforcement squads and sub-divisional level enforcement squads to check minor mineral smuggling.
On the query pertaining to whether there is any proposal to transfer the minor minerals segment from steel and mines department to the revenue and disaster management department, the minister said that by amending the rules of business, the segment was transferred to steel and mines department.
As per the revenue and disaster management department, the directorate of minor minerals was formed and was transferred to the steel and mines department in 2023. It is looking after auction and inspection of minor minerals, Jena said.
He said that relevant rules were amended for monitoring and handling of minor minerals, competent authorities as mining officers at tehsil level and controlling authority as deputy director of mines at the district collector level were appointed.

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