Rajasthan Sets Up High-Level Project Monitoring Unit to Boost Mining Sector; Focus on Exploration, Sustainable Mining, and Employment Opportunities

Jaipur, Sept 2025: To ensure planned implementation, coordination, management, and effective monitoring of all aspects of the mining sector—including exploration, revenue growth, investment, employment generation, sustainable mining, innovations in the global mining sector, and adoption of new technologies—the Rajasthan government has constituted a high-level Project Monitoring Unit (PMU).

Principal Secretary, Mines & Geology Department, Mr. T. Ravikanth, said that considering the state’s vast reserves of critical, strategic, major, and minor minerals, the formation of the PMU will make the sector more dynamic. This will help bring mines into early operation, thereby boosting investment and employment opportunities.

Chief Minister Mr. Bhajanlal Sharma has consistently emphasized making Rajasthan a leading state in mining across the country, given the sector’s immense potential. Important initiatives such as the New Mineral Policy, M-Sand Policy, simplified procedures in RIPS, Amnesty Scheme, and other reforms have already been undertaken to strengthen the sector.

Mr. Ravikanth explained that the PMU has identified seven key sectors of mining activities—Exploration, Auction, Early Operation, Research & Development, Zero Loss Mining, Eco-Tourism, and Paperless Processes. Senior and expert officers have been appointed to lead these areas. Mr. Mahesh Mathur, Additional Director (HQ), has been made the Nodal Officer, while Mr. Pratap Meena, Superintendent Engineer (Vigilance), Jaipur, will serve as Co-Incharge.

• Exploration & Auction: Handed to Mr. Alok Jain, CEO, RSMET, whose team will coordinate with GSI and technical experts to accelerate exploration and auction processes. Auctioned blocks will be brought into early operation with necessary approvals.
• Revenue Monitoring: Mr. Girish Kachara, Financial Advisor, has been tasked with preventing revenue leakages and monitoring. Mr. Sunil Kumar, Superintendent Geologist, will oversee DMFT fund utilization, including preparing frameworks for planning, implementation, and monitoring.
• Sustainable Mining & Technology: Mr. N.S. Shaktawat, Superintendent Mining Engineer, Jaipur, will lead this sector, focusing on star-rating of mines, eco-tourism in closed mines, recycling of overburden dumps, promoting best-performing mines, automation, and paperless systems.
• Research & Development: Mr. Jay Gurubakhsani, Superintendent Mining Engineer, Ajmer, with Mr. Sanjay Saxena, Superintendent Geologist, as Co-Incharge, will promote R&D, stakeholder engagement, conclaves, seminars, training, and exposure to global technological trends.

Mr. Ravikanth stressed that the state government is committed to sustainable mining, aligning with changing global trends. The PMU has already started functioning.