"We will intensify our drive against illegal mining in association with state governments. A meeting of Centre and state governments officials will be convened very soon to chalk out a concerted strategy to curb it," Mines Minister Dinsha Patel told reporters on the sidelines of a geological summit here.
The government has already constituted a one-man inquiry commission under the retired Supreme Court judge MB Shah to look into illegal mining in the country, Patel said.
The Commission would submit its report within 18 months from the date of its first sitting, he said.
The magnitude of illegal mining is such that over 41,000 cases of violation were detected in 11-mineral bearing states last year, Patel said, adding that the matter would be pursued in the right earnest.
On proposed new mining legislation that provides for 26 per cent profit sharing by the miners with project-affected people, Patel said the Ministry was in the process of discussing it with various stakeholders.
The new legislation - Mines and Mineral Development and Regulation Act- has provisions for curbing illegal mining too, he added.
Earlier, inaugurating the 48th Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) meeting of the Geological Survey of India, Patel said GSI will soon procure a host of modern equipments, which will uplift the pace and quantity output of all the exploration programmes.