The Department of Mines and Geology, Jharkhand (JMG), on May 8, 2026, notified the Jharkhand Sand Mining (Amendment) Rules, 2026 under Section 15 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. The amendments revise provisions relating to lease periods, payment schedules, bid valuation, statutory dues, Gram Sabha consent requirements, and filing of monthly returns for sand mining leases in the State.
Under the amended rules, the definition of “Year” has been revised to mean the period of allocation of a sand ghat or deposit commencing from the date of registration of the executed lease deed. The payment schedule for bid amounts has also been modified, requiring 50% payment before issuance of the first permit in the first year and during the first quarter in subsequent years, while the remaining 50% shall be payable in two installments during the third and fourth quarters. Further, the bid amount for the second and subsequent years shall be fixed at 110% of the previous financial year’s Annual Mineral Concessional Value.
The amendment further mandates payment of royalty, District Mineral Foundation Trust contribution, Income Tax, Environmental Cess, GST, stamp duty and other statutory charges as per applicable laws. It also requires execution of lease deeds only after obtaining all necessary clearances, including consent of the concerned Gram Sabha in Scheduled Areas under the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) framework. Additionally, lessees are now required to submit monthly returns within ten days of the succeeding month, failing which a penalty of ₹25 per day, subject to a maximum of ₹2,500, shall apply.
[Notification No. Kha.Ni.(Vividh)-95/2024-1154/M]
