Jaipur: The mines department’s technology-driven system to curb illegal mineral transportation has failed to eliminate irregularities in the issuance of transit passes, with records indicating that questionable e-ravannas continue to be generated despite automated weighbridges and a Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) being in place.The department recently announced that 1,428 mineral weighbridges have been automated and integrated with the online monitoring system, while 45,462 mineral transport vehicles have been linked to the VTS.Officials said the system was introduced to prevent weighment manipulation, stop vehicles from obtaining e-ravannas using altered or concealed number plates, and improve transparency in mineral transportation. Around 20,000 e-ravannas are now generated daily through the digital platform.However, documents in the possession of TOI indicate that transit passes are still being issued with details that do not match actual transportation patterns, raising concerns over repeated use of permits and possible revenue leakage.Mining activist Kishore Kumawat said, “A vehicle carrying bajri from Kanana to the Pachpadra Refinery in Balotra district was issued a transit pass showing a travel distance of nearly 940 km, even though the actual distance is around 60 km.” The pass remained valid from July 5 to July 8, potentially allowing multiple trips during the validity period, he alleged.Discrepancies were also found in the quantities mentioned on several transit passes. While e-ravannas recorded loads of only 5-8 tonnes, photographs captured by automated weighbridges showed fully loaded 16-, 18- and 22-wheel trucks.According to official sources, such vehicles are permitted to carry 30-40 tonnes of bajri, making the recorded quantities appear unusually low.Mining experts said transporting only 5-8 tonnes over distances ranging from 900 km to 1,400 km would be commercially unviable, suggesting possible underreporting and revenue evasion.In another instance, the online monitoring system reportedly captured a truck driver changing the vehicle’s number plate at a weighbridge, but no major enforcement action is known to have followed.The Central Empowered Committee (CEC), in its 2020 report to the Supreme Court, recommended that transit passes should never be issued for quantities below a vehicle’s registered carrying capacity.A senior official said, “We are examining all the shortcomings, and they will be rectified soon. Since the system is new, it will take some time to stabilise.”
