According to the findings of the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), which monitors and prevents such unlawful activities, Minerals worth 226.04 crore were illegally mined in various states across the country last fiscal.

In the 2010-11 fiscal year, 14,204 cases of illegal mining of 43.584 lakh tonnes of major minerals, valued at Rs 71.52 crore, were detected. In 775 cases, FIRs were lodged with authorities and legal proceedings have been launched in 514 cases. Official sources today said, Fines to the tune of Rs 122.33 crore were realised from the defaulters. About 766 FIRs were lodged with the police and court proceedings initiated in 9,078 cases. Penalties to the tune of Rs 143.94 crore have been recovered from the illegal miners.

Through the IBM, the Centre had constituted a task force and conducted an inspection of mines in areas where the problem of illegal mining was rampant by taking the help of satellite imaging.

IBM Controller General C S Gundewar told PTI the the inspections were conducted between December, 2009, and March, 2011, in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Orissa.

He said about 434 mines holding minerals like iron ore, manganese ore, dolomite, limestone and bauxite were inspected by the task force.

Subsequently, IBM suspended mining operations in 150 mines and recommended the suspension of mining leases in nine cases to the state governments.