GPS, RFID, e-Challan Mandatory for Mineral Transport
Jammu, Dec 18: Asif Rashid
In a decisive move to curb large-scale illegal mining and strengthen transparency, the Jammu and Kashmir government has amended the rules governing concession, storage and transportation of minor minerals, making GPS-enabled vehicles, RFID registration and a valid e-Challan mandatory across the Union territory.
Officials said the Mining Department has fixed January 26, 2026, as the deadline for full compliance with the new system, which is aimed at plugging revenue leakages and ensuring real-time monitoring of mineral movement.
The amendments have been notified by the Additional Chief Secretary, Mining Department, Anil Kumar Singh, under the Jammu and Kashmir Minor Mineral Concession, Storage, Transportation of Minerals and Prevention of Illegal Mining Rules, 2016, in exercise of powers conferred by the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
Under the revised Rule 71, no mineral concessionaire—including mining lessees, licensees, permit holders, crusher unit owners and brick kiln operators—shall transport or facilitate the transportation of minerals such as riverbed material (RBM), nallah muck, stone, boulders, sand, clay, crushed bajri and bricks without department-registered GPS-enabled vehicles carrying a unique RFID number.
Additionally, every consignment must be accompanied by a valid e-Challan in Form ‘A’, embedded with a QR code or watermark, generated exclusively through the department’s designated e-Challan web portal. The government has also mandated that all vehicles and machinery used in mineral extraction and transportation be registered with the department and fitted with fully operational GPS tracking systems.
To ensure tax compliance and transparency, the rules further require issuance of GST-compliant invoices by lessees, licensees, permit holders or crusher unit owners to buyers or consignees for both raw and processed minor minerals.
Officials said a successful pilot run of GPS-enabled mineral transportation vehicles was conducted in Samba district, and the department will now roll out GPS, RFID and e-Challan compliance across the entire Union territory, supported by an extensive awareness and enforcement campaign.
To strengthen enforcement, Quick Response Teams (QRTs) are being set up at the district level, equipped with modern gadgets and logistics to swiftly act against illegal mining. Enforcement agencies are also being provided Point-of-Sale (PoS) machines for on-the-spot digital challaning and compounding of violations.
An Integrated Mining Surveillance System (IMSS), developed in collaboration with BISAG-N (Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics), has been deployed to integrate GPS tracking, RFID, e-Challan data, weighbridge inputs and public grievance redressal on a real-time digital dashboard.
Officials revealed that 114 system-generated alerts have already been verified on the ground, resulting in the confirmation of 14 cases of illegal mining and penalties amounting to ₹90 lakh.
For the financial year 2025–26, the department has set an ambitious revenue target of ₹300 crore, with ₹200 crore expected from minor minerals and ₹100 crore from allied activities. Revenue from major minerals is projected from 2026–27, following the completion of the limestone auction process.
