Raipur, March 17, 2026: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai today said that the mineral concessions have been sanctioned in only 0.96 per cent of the state’s total forest area, and actual mining operations have been permitted in merely 0.24 per cent of the forest area.
Responding to a discussion in the Legislative Assembly regarding the demands for grants related to his departments, Chief Minister Sai reiterated that mining operations are permitted in only 0.24 per cent of the forest area.
He noted that extensive plantation drives have been undertaken to compensate for mining activities, and under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ (One Tree in Mother’s Name) campaign, approximately 70 million saplings have been planted over the last two years.
Citing a report by the Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun, the Chief Minister stated that an increase of 683 square kilometers has been recorded in Chhattisgarh’s forest and tree cover.
He also informed the House that the ‘Khanij Online 2.0’ portal and the DMF Portal 2.0 have been implemented to ensure transparency within the Mineral Department.
Furthermore, to make sand available to the general public at concessional rates and to curb the activities of the sand mafia, the ‘Chhattisgarh Minor Mineral (Ordinary Sand) Rules, 2025’ have been enacted, and an e-auction system for sand has been introduced.
Sai stated that, by restoring transparency to the District Mineral Foundation (DMF), funds exceeding Rs 4,000 crore have been realized over the past two years, and over 19,000 projects have been sanctioned.
A social audit of DMF-funded projects is also being conducted, and a robust grievance redressal mechanism has been established, he added.
The Chief Minister added that the auction process for mineral blocks has been accelerated, and 62 blocks have been successfully auctioned to date.
Sai further mentioned that Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) have been signed with reputed technical institutions for the exploration of Rare Earth, Critical, and Strategic minerals, which is expected to boost opportunities for clean energy initiatives and new investments.
He emphasised that maintaining environmental balance alongside systematic mining remains the government’s top priority.
