Jaipur, Sep 11 (IANS) The Mines and Geology Department has constituted a high-level Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) to ensure planned implementation, effective coordination, and monitoring of all activities related to minerals in Rajasthan.

Principal Secretary T. Ravikant said that the PMU will focus on exploration, revenue generation, investment and employment opportunities, sustainable mining practices, innovations in the sector, and adoption of global technologies.

He said that Rajasthan, with its huge reserves of critical, strategic, major and minor minerals, has immense potential, and the formation of the PMU will make the sector more dynamic. This will help in faster operationalisation of auctioned mines, increase investments and generate employment opportunities.

Ravikant informed that seven core areas have been identified under the PMU including exploration, auction, quick operation of mines, research and development, sustainable mining, eco-tourism, and paperless operations.

Senior and expert officers have been appointed as in-charges of each sector along with core teams to provide suggestions and monitor progress. CEO of RSMET, Alok Jain, will lead the exploration and auction team to coordinate with GSI and other technical experts for strengthening exploration and fast-tracking auctions, while Superintending Engineer Vigilance, Jaipur, Pratap Meena, will oversee the process of securing approvals and ensuring early operation of auctioned mines.

Financial Advisor Girish Kachhara has been assigned the responsibility of monitoring revenue generation and preventing any loss to the state exchequer. Superintendent Geologist Sunil Kumar will supervise the planning, implementation, and monitoring of DMFT funds and also study best practices from other states. For sustainable mining and technology adoption, Superintendent Mining Engineer Jaipur, N.S. Shaktiwat, will work on star-rating of mines, promoting eco-tourism in closed mines, recycling waste material, and introducing automation and paperless operations.

Superintendent Mining Engineer Ajmer, Jai Gurubakhsani, has been made in-charge of research and development activities, including organising conclaves, seminars, training programs and creating a common platform for stakeholders, with Superintendent Geologist Sanjay Saxena as co-in-charge.

The Principal Secretary emphasised that the state government under Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma is committed to making Rajasthan a leading state in the mining sector and has already implemented reforms such as the new mineral policy, M-Sand policy, RIPS assistance provisions, and the Amnesty Scheme.

He said that the PMU has already started functioning and will play a vital role in modernising Rajasthan’s mineral sector and aligning it with global best practices.

–IANS

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