India, March 13 -- PATNA: The mines and geology department has decided to bar companies that recently surrendered their sand mining leases from bidding in upcoming tenders for the same sites, deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said here on Thursday. Speaking at a press conference to mark the first 100 days of the current state government, Sinha said 78 companies had handed back leases for an equal number of sand ghats, blaming heavy financial losses. The move has resulted in an estimated revenue shortfall of around Rs.700 crore for the department. "These companies bid aggressively high amounts initially, perhaps banking on lax enforcement to profit through illegal extraction or overloading," Sinha said. "But our strict checks on illegal mining and vehicle overloading left them unable to operate profitably, forcing the surrender." He made it clear that the department would revise its policy to effectively blacklist these firms. "They will not be allowed to participate in the fresh tenders - not even under changed company names. We are preparing measures to prevent their re-entry," he added. Sinha, who holds the mines portfolio, said further action would include identifying individuals behind these companies and forfeiting their security deposits. The deputy CM expressed optimism about meeting the department's revenue target of Rs.3,800 crore for the current financial year. He said collections had already crossed Rs.3,000 crore by February-end, leaving a balance that he expected to cover through March receipts (projected at Rs.200-300 cr) and additional inflows from other departments (Rs.500-600 crore). For comparison, he pointed out that revenue had risen sharply in recent years - from Rs.1,600 crore in 2021-22 to over Rs.3,536 crore in 2024-25. In a related initiative, Sinha transferred Rs.3.70 lakh directly to the bank accounts of 71 informants under the "Bihari Yoddha Purashkar" scheme. The programme, launched by Nitish Kumar, rewards tip-offs on illegal mining and overloading: Rs.5,000 for information leading to seizure of a tractor and Rs.10,000 for a truck. Sinha described the recipients as key contributors to curbing the sand mafia. Bihar is the first state to introduce such a public participation reward mechanism, he said. To tighten regulation of minor minerals, the government has made transit passes mandatory for vehicles entering Bihar from other states carrying sand, stone, stone chips, morrum or stone dust. These vehicles will be tracked digitally through a system integrator, with CCTV cameras installed at border points for continuous monitoring. "Any negligence by officials at checkpoints will invite strict action," Sinha warned. He also highlighted other enforcement steps: internet-enabled CCTV cameras at all operational sand ghats, deployment of 400 police personnel specifically for anti-illegal mining duties, and ongoing bidding for nine out of 12 mineral blocks. Bidding has already concluded successfully for blocks in Rohtas (glauconite) and Gaya (nickel, chromium, platinum). Between April and November 2025, the department conducted 31,997 raids, registered over 1,600 FIRs and arrested 400 people in connection with illegal mining and related offences. Accompanied by mines secretary Divesh Sehara and director Manesh Kumar Meena, Sinha said the measures were aimed at ensuring transparent, regulated mining operations....