Contractors who secure and then ditch Bihar’s sand quarries will face a lifetime ban from tenders, as per Deputy CM and Mines Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha’s directive aimed at stabilizing the sector.
In Thursday’s presser, Sinha initiated blacklisting proceedings against 78 offenders who overbid dramatically yet surrendered amid supposed losses, implicating sand syndicates in the ploy.
Amid accolades, 71 anonymous whistleblowers received awards for aiding crackdowns on illicit extraction and heavy-loaded hauls, their privacy safeguarded.
Revival plans involve DM-headed panels scrutinizing idle sites, rate revisions, and re-auctioning. Cabinet-backed transit fee mandates for external vehicles bolster frontier vigilance.
The department’s coffers swelled—from Rs 1,600 crore (2021-22) to Rs 3,500 crore (2024-25)—with FY 2025-26’s Rs 3,800 crore target at Rs 3,000 crore, full realization imminent.
Illegal activities face relentless pursuit: Over 31,000 raids since April 2025, 1,600 FIRs, 400 arrests, augmented police force of 400, and round-the-clock CCTV at every ghat.