Odisha Issues Strict Guidelines for Minor Mineral Quarry Permits, Warns Officials

The Odisha Government has tightened oversight over the issuance of quarry permits for minor minerals, directing district administrations to strictly enforce the Odisha Minor Mineral Concession (Amendment) Rules, 2025, after reports of alleged misuse of the permit system surfaced in several areas.

In a communication issued on August 3, 2026, Additional Chief Secretary of the Steel and Mines Department Deoranjan Kumar Singh instructed all District Collectors and District Magistrates to ensure that quarry permits are granted exclusively for government works and public-purpose projects. The directive stresses that any departure from the statutory provisions will invite serious scrutiny, with erring officials liable to face disciplinary proceedings.

The department’s intervention follows reports indicating that quarry permits were allegedly being issued for private or non-government projects. It also flagged instances where applicants were said to have falsely projected themselves as representatives of government projects to secure permits. The government described such practices as arbitrary, illegal and in violation of the amended rules, directing district authorities to reject such applications at the preliminary stage itself.

The clarification comes in the wake of amendments introduced under the Odisha Minor Mineral Concession (Amendment) Rules, 2025, which were framed to ensure the timely availability of minor minerals for infrastructure works of national and state significance. Under the revised framework, the authority to issue quarry permits rests with the Mining Officer for non-forest areas, while permits for forest land fall within the jurisdiction of the concerned Divisional Forest Officer (DFO).

The government has also clarified the duration and scope of these permits. A quarry permit may be issued either for the total sanctioned mineral requirement of an entire project or for a specific phase of the work. Its validity is capped at two years or until completion of the project or the relevant phase, whichever occurs first. Any request to continue operations beyond the two-year period can only be considered after obtaining prior approval from the State Government.

Reiterating the objective behind the amended rules, the Steel and Mines Department said the measures are intended to maintain an uninterrupted supply of minor minerals for public infrastructure projects while protecting government revenue. District administrations have been instructed to ensure rigorous compliance with the legal provisions so that the permit mechanism is not misused for activities outside its intended purpose.