CAG Report: Over 40,000 Illegal Mining Cases in Himachal Pradesh

• A CAG report revealed over 40,000 cases of illicit mining activities in Himachal Pradesh between 2018-19 and 2022-23.
• The report highlighted a lack of planned operations and robust monitoring mechanisms in the mining administration, impacting revenue and environment.
• Despite a rise in revenue from Rs 221 crore to Rs 286 crore over five years, the Industries Department failed to formulate annual action plans.
• Systemic weaknesses included non-implementation of GPS tracking, absence of district-level task forces, and ineffective inspection mechanisms.
• Shortfalls in royalty collection (Rs 1.81 crore) and unsatisfactory use of District Mineral Foundation Trust funds (only 19.66% utilized) were also noted.