Section 23C of Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act (MMDR Act) 1957, empowers the State Governments to frame rules to prevent illegal mining and the State Governments may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make such rules for preventing illegal mining, transportation and storage of minerals and for the purposes connected therewith. Hence, control of illegal mining comes under the legislative and administrative jurisdiction of the State Governments.

Further, Section 30B of the MMDR Act, 1957 provides for constitution of Special courts by the State Governments for the purposes of providing speedy trial of offenses for contravention of the provisions of sub-section (1) or sub-section (1A) of Section 4 of the Act. Section 30C of the Act provides that such Special Courts shall be deemed to be a Court of Session.

As per quarterly returns on illegal mining (both for major and minor minerals) furnished by the various State Governments to the Indian Bureau of Mines, a Sub-ordinate Office of Ministry of Mines, the State-wise number of cases of Illegal mining for the year 2022-23 is given at        Annexure-I.