The auction process for 402 new sand mines across 24 districts in Bihar is set to commence by the first week of May. Among these, Patna will witness the auction of 150 sand mines. The directive has been issued to all mining development officers to coordinate with their respective district magistrates regarding this matter. Additionally, advertisements related to e-auction will be published by the end of this month.
Currently, preparations are underway to auction 731 sand mines in the state, out of which approximately 329 have already been auctioned. The auction process for the remaining 402 new mines is expected to start by the first week of next month.
Furthermore, sand mining is underway in 115 mines across 16 districts, with Bhojpur district leading with 28 mines, followed by 16 mines in Patna, and 12 in Gaya. Environmental clearances have been obtained for nearly 174 mines in 25 districts.
Instructions have been given to identify unregistered sand mines prone to illegal mining activities and to provide a list to the respective police stations for necessary action. The district-level mining task force has been directed to regularly inspect such areas. Moreover, mining officials have been instructed to take action against individuals involved in illegal mining activities.
