Dehradun, April 6 -- The mining department of Uttarakhand has achieved a record revenue collection of Rs.1,217 crore in the financial year 2025-26, surpassing the target of Rs.950 crore and crossing the Rs.1,200 crore mark for the first time, officials said. According to officials of the state mining department, the revenue includes Rs.1,130 crore deposited in the state treasury, Rs.80 crore contributed to the District Mineral Foundation Trust (DMF), and Rs.7 crore collected under the State Mineral Exploration Trust (SMET). Officials said the department has consistently improved its performance over the past few years. In the financial year 2024-25, the department generated Rs.1,041 crore against a target of Rs.875 crore, reflecting a steady rise in revenue from the sector. State government officials attributed the record revenue to policy reforms, improved monitoring mechanisms and steps taken to curb illegal mining under the leadership of chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. According to officials, the mining department simplified several provisions in the mineral policy and rules to encourage legal mining operations while tightening enforcement against illegal mining, transportation and storage of minerals. Mining leases were allocated through a transparent process, which officials said helped increase compliance and revenue collection. The government focused on creating a transparent and accountable system in the mining sector while ensuring strict action against illegal activities. This has helped strengthen revenue generation, said officials Officials said that the state government also introduced technological innovations to monitor mining operations more effectively. Under the Mining Digital Transformation and Surveillance System (MDTSS), 45 electronic check gates equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, RFID tags and other surveillance tools have been installed across four plains districts of the state. Apart from MDTSS, several digital platforms have been introduced to streamline the functioning of the mining sector. These include the Mineral Management System, e-Ravanna, Mining e-Services, Surveillance Enforcement System and Decision Support System. Officials said that to further strengthen monitoring and prevent fraud, the government introduced a special security-featured paper system for the e-Ravanna platform. The mechanism has helped prevent duplication and misuse of transport permits, thereby tightening control over illegal mining and mineral transportation. The initiatives undertaken by the state government have also received recognition at the national level. On March 28, 2026, the MDTSS and e-Ravanna Security Paper projects were awarded the gold category at the SKOCH Award ceremony held in New Delhi. Officials further said the Union ministry of mines ranked Uttarakhand second among 'Category C' states for its performance in minor mineral reforms. The recognition came with an incentive grant of Rs.100 crore. In addition, the state received another incentive grant of Rs.100 crore for its performance in the State Mining Readiness Index, officials added. Officials said the steady rise in mining revenue is primarily due to the impact of policy reforms, technological monitoring and stronger enforcement measures implemented by the state government....