Over 60 per cent of the total 929 sanctioned posts in the office of Commissioner of Geology and Mining, which controls and manages over 7,700 mines in the state, are lying vacant, the Gujarat government told the Assembly during question hour, Saturday
The highest number of vacancies has been reported in Class-3 category posts where 500 of the total 812 sanctioned posts were vacant as on December 31, 2022, stated Industries minister Balwantsinh Rajput in reply to a question by BJP MLA Kanchanben Radhadiya.
In written replies provided to similar questions asked during Question Hour, the government said that 20 of the 50 Class-1 posts in the same department were lying vacant, while 42 of the total 67 Class-2 posts were also lying vacant.
During discussions in the House, Congress legislator C J Chavda claimed that 500 vacancies that exist for Class-3 employees are primarily because the state government has not recruited enough personnel in the Class-4 category who could be promoted to Class-3. When Chavda sought a timeline from the state government for filling up the vacancies to “control the mining mafia,” the minister replied: “While the 46 vacant positions of drivers have been filled up through outsourcing, 65 vacancies connected with mineral exploration are being considered to be cancelled.”
About 330 vacancies for chemical assistance, royalty inspector, and posts for the disabled among others will be filled immediately, Rajput assured the House.
When Congress MLA Arjun Modhwadia alleged that the government is making matters easy for the mining mafia by not filling up the vacant posts, the minister retorted saying that the government has taken strict action against those engaging in mineral theft and enlisted the details of cases registered. He tabled a detailed report to show that the number of cases filed against illegal mining in the state had risen by 22%.
| Year | Cases Filed | Recovered |
| 2018-2019 | 7,734 | Rs 109.88 cr |
| 2019-2020 | 7,400 | Rs 106.34 cr |
| 2020-2021 | 7,100 | Rs 103.22 cr |
| 2021-2022 | 8,600 | Rs 140.64 cr |
| 2022-2023 | 9,475 | Rs 199.07 cr |
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