Odisha's New Mineral Transport Rules (2025): What Truck Owners and Transporters Need to Know

Odisha has published a new rulebook for how minerals are stored, traded and moved by road. Many of its requirements land directly on trucks: tracking units, RFID tags, an electronic transit pass and automated gates at mines. This guide explains what the published rules say for truck owners and transporters, in plain language, and what is still unclear.

What are the Odisha Minerals Rules, 2025?

They are rules made by the Steel and Mines Department under Section 23C of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. They were notified on 28 November 2025 as S.R.O. No. 1791/2025, after cabinet approval a week earlier, and they replace the 2007 rules, which are commonly shortened to OMPTS. The aim is to prevent theft, smuggling and illegal mining and to regulate the possession, storage, trading and transportation of minerals.

Are the new rules in force yet?

The rules say they come into force on a date the government will appoint by notification. In the text we reviewed, no start date is given, and we could not confirm a commencement notification at the time of writing. Until a date is notified, the 2007 rules continue. Check the Steel and Mines Department notifications or ask your local Mining Officer before you plan around a specific date.

What must a mineral truck have under the new rules?

Rule 9 sets out the technology a vehicle carrying minerals must meet. In summary, a truck must:

• Be registered online on the government's Digital Platform. Registration is verified against State Transport Authority or RTO records, and only valid trucks are allowed to carry minerals.
• Carry a Vehicle Tracking Unit (VTU) that gives real-time location and raises alerts when the truck deviates from its route.
• Carry an RFID tag for automatic identification and tracking of consignments.
• Travel with an e-Transit Pass generated on the Digital Platform for every load.
• Stay inside digital routes set up through geo-fencing and route geotagging, with alerts if the vehicle leaves permitted zones.
• Be monitored or weighed in transit at check posts or weighbridges wherever required.

The rules also say the GPS device on the carrier will be tracked on the online platform in integration with VAHAN and other Transport Department modules.

What is the e-Transit Pass?

The e-Transit Pass is a digital pass generated on the Digital Platform after loading and weighment. The rules call it the sole legal authorisation for transit, so no separate permit is required. Each pass carries a unique number and a QR code or barcode, and records details such as quantity, grade, source, destination, vehicle registration number and the time it was generated.

• The person in charge of the truck must show the pass, with the related bills or delivery notes, on demand. A QR code on a mobile device is accepted.
• Minerals entering Odisha need an e-Transit Pass from the Digital Platform and a valid GST e-way bill.
• Movement by rail, aerial ropeway and slurry pipeline is handled differently.

How will mine gates and check posts work?

At mine entry and exit gates, the rules require an RFID reader to read each truck's tag, an automated boom barrier and AI-enabled cameras with number-plate recognition. The barrier lifts only when the system confirms three things:

1. A valid e-Transit Pass exists for the loaded vehicle.
2. The vehicle's weight is within the approved limit.
3. The dispatch falls within permitted hours, where such a restriction is imposed.

The number plate read by the camera is matched against the vehicle number on the e-Transit Pass, and any mismatch raises an alert. Government check posts will also record vehicles in real time, and a mineral-laden vehicle with no valid e-pass on the platform is flagged for interception.

What do the rules say for transporters?

Rule 10 covers transporting agents. A business acting as a transporting agent needs a valid registration certificate. The rules as published include:

Lessees and licensees may engage only registered transporting agents. These figures differ from those shown on the current i3MS transporter page, which is why the start date matters. We compare the two in our transporter registration guide.

What are the penalties and risks for truck owners?

• Detention and seizure: a vehicle not covered by a valid transit pass can be detained at a check post, and vehicles used to transport minerals without lawful authority can be seized.
• Contravening the rules: imprisonment of up to two years, a fine of up to Rs. 5 lakh, or both, with a further fine for each day a contravention continues after conviction.
• Tampering with devices: removing an RFID tag or tampering with cameras, weighbridges or the platform is a separate offence, with imprisonment of up to one year, a fine of up to Rs. 1 lakh, or both.
• Illegal transport of minerals: punishable as provided under the Act, with imprisonment of up to five years, a fine of up to Rs. 5 lakh, or both.

Has anything changed recently on the ground?

Enforcement has been tightening separately from the rules. A directive of the Directorate of Mines and Geology dated 16 June 2026, as reported by Bigmint, said dispatch permissions would not be granted for ore below the grade benchmark in approved mining plans, and that vehicles carrying ore of a different quality than approved may be detained. This is news reporting, not the rules themselves, so check the original order for details.

How can truck owners prepare?

1. Make sure every truck's registration, permit, tax, fitness and insurance records are current. Online verification checks them against RTO records.
2. Ask your mine or transporter which tracking unit and RFID tag will be required, who provides them and when.
3. Confirm that the transporting agent you work with holds, or is applying for, the registration the rules require.
4. Train drivers to carry the e-Transit Pass on a phone and to keep related bills and delivery notes handy.
5. Never remove or damage a tag or device, since tampering is an offence in itself.
6. Keep copies of passes, weighment slips and trip records for every load.

Bohiba keeps truck documents, trips and expenses in one place, so your records are ready when a check post or mine asks for them. See our truck document checklist, explore features or start on the free plan.