Jaipur: New leases allotted for sand mining have allegedly led to large-scale irregularities, causing losses to the state exchequer through illegal excavation as well as environmental harm. Sources told TOI that new leaseholders are generating fake e-ravannas and transit passes to facilitate illegal extraction and transportation of sand. Irregularities are also said to be occurring at weighbridges, where a single vehicle is stationed while multiple e-ravannas are issued against different registration numbers. TOI has accessed photographic evidence in this regard. Mining expert Pradeep Singh said, “I sent a complaint to the chief secretary of Rajasthan and senior mining officials, but action is awaited. As per the modus operandi, the number plates of trucks are covered with cloth, and on the official website, in some instances 2 number plates are visible on the same vehicle. In several cases, trucks seen standing behind the vehicle in weighbridge images remain unchanged across multiple ravannas, and even the tyre positions on the platform appear identical, raising suspicion that the same vehicle was used to generate several transport permits.” A mining official, requesting anonymity, pointed to unusually short time intervals between the generation and confirmation of e-ravannas. “In some instances, the gap is less than 5 minutes, while certain permits were issued within seconds of one another. A sand-laden truck typically takes at least 3 to 4 minutes to mount and descend a weighbridge,” the official said.Concerns have also been raised over camera monitoring systems installed at weighbridges. Singh’s complaint states that camera angles appear to be altered, preventing clear visibility of sand loads in vehicles. A mining official said, “The matter has been brought to our notice and will be examined.”
