Over the past seven years, Rajasthan has registered 7,173 FIRs related to illegal mining activities such as unauthorised excavation, transportation and storage. Of these, a significant 4,181 cases originated from districts falling within the Aravalli range. During the same period, the state recorded 71,322 incidents of illegal mining — a figure that includes both major and minor violations, many of which were addressed through penalties and challans rather than formal police cases. Nearly 40,175 of these incidents were reported from the Aravalli belt alone.
Comparing the figures from the five-year Congress tenure with the subsequent two years under the BJP, party spokesperson and former MLA Ramlal Sharma asserted that the current government is firmly committed to protecting the Aravallis. “The intent of the Rajasthan government and the chief minister is clear — not a single stone in the Aravallis should be harmed,” Sharma said, adding that the BJP administration has taken strong measures against illegal mining and the mining mafia over the past two years.
According to official data cited by Sharma, 29,209 cases of illegal mining were recorded in Aravalli districts between December 15, 2018, and December 14, 2023. In contrast, 10,966 such cases were reported during the first two years of the present government, from December 15, 2023, to December 15, 2025. Rajasthan has a total of 20 districts that fall within the Aravalli region.
Explaining the disparity between the number of reported violations and FIRs filed, T. Ravikanth, Principal Secretary of the Mines and Petroleum Department, said that “reported instances” include cases where the mining department itself initiated action — such as issuing notices or imposing fines — which also serve as punitive measures. FIRs, he clarified, are registered only when cases are formally lodged at police stations.
Ravikanth noted that most reported cases involve illegal mining, transport or storage, many of which are compoundable offences. FIRs are generally filed only when serious offences such as assault or theft are involved, which explains their comparatively lower numbers. Responding to a question raised in the Assembly earlier this year by Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully, the government disclosed that in 2024 alone, there were 93 attacks by the so-called mining mafia on 311 officials and workers.
In financial terms, the state has recovered penalties amounting to ₹637.16 crore over the last seven years. Of this, ₹231.75 crore was collected from Aravalli districts during the Congress regime, while ₹136.78 crore has been recovered under the current BJP government. During the same period, 3,736 individuals were arrested statewide for illegal mining-related offences. Of these arrests, 1,415 occurred in the Aravalli districts under the Ashok Gehlot government, compared to 300 during the tenure of the present administration.
Enforcement actions have also led to the seizure of 70,399 vehicles, machinery and related equipment across Rajasthan over the last seven years. Aravalli districts accounted for 29,138 seizures during the Congress rule and 10,616 under the BJP government.
Meanwhile, with the Aravalli hills already facing decades of ecological stress due to both legal and illegal mining as well as other developmental pressures, a newly approved definition of the hills has sparked widespread protests in Rajasthan and other regions. The revised definition -recommended by a committee headed by the Environment Secretary and approved by the Supreme Court on November 20 - classifies any landform rising 100 metres or more above the surrounding terrain, along with its slopes and adjoining areas, as part of the Aravalli Hills.
Environmental groups fear that this reclassification could eventually pave the way for increased mining activity. However, the Union Environment Ministry has stated that no fresh mining leases will be granted until a comprehensive study is conducted, as noted in the Supreme Court’s November 20 order.