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Mines Min to review States' steps on illegal mining
Concerned over the menace of illegal mining and environmental delays of mineral projects, the Ministry of Mines would undertake a review of measures taken by mineral rich States to curb unlawful exploration of ores and their progress over the preliminary recommendations made by the Justice Shah Commission, on January 16.
Coming days after the Justice MB Shah Commission's preliminary report having been tabled by Mines Minister Dinsha Patel in Parliament, that suggested a complete ban on illegal mining, the meeting of the ministry's Coordination-cum-Empowered Committee (CEC, which is headed by Secretary in the ministry) assumes a lot of significance.
According to official sources, the CEC is expected to take up a review of steps taken by individual States to prevent the unlawful exploration activity in their respective jurisdiction, with representatives of 11 States mainly Goa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa among others.
Principal Secretaries in charge of mining department of these States would be attending the meeting where, among the aforementioned issue, the CEC would also be seeking an update on the progress undertaken by the States on the preliminary recommendation of Justice Shah Commission (which was formed by the Centre to suggest ways to curb the menace).
Sources said that though the three-member panel is currently travelling to various States and taking stock of the ground reality regarding illegal mining activities there, the CEC wants an update from the States directly in order to see whether they have started implementing the Commission's suggestions or not.
Though the CEC meets on a quarterly basis, the burning significance of the illegal mining issue over the last few months (especially after unlawful iron ore mining was banned in Karnataka by Supreme Court in August last year), and the Commission's suggestion of banning illegal mining completely at the national level, provides a lot of topicality to the meeting.
Apart from this, the CEC would also review the action taken by States on violations reported by Indian Bureau of Mines in various pits, ministry sources said.
With representatives from Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) also expected to participate in the January 16 meeting, the Mines Ministry would also seek to know from them the status of clearances given to various mineral contracts and what steps have been taken to expedite these.
According to ministry sources, during the previous meeting of the CEC, held in September last year, it was decided that the State Governments would prepare a list of cases awaiting forest clearance and send it to the MOEF, so that they could be expeditiously followed up.
Concerned over the menace of illegal mining and environmental delays of mineral projects, the Ministry of Mines would undertake a review of measures taken by mineral rich States to curb unlawful exploration of ores and their progress over the preliminary recommendations made by the Justice Shah Commission, on January 16.
Coming days after the Justice MB Shah Commission's preliminary report having been tabled by Mines Minister Dinsha Patel in Parliament, that suggested a complete ban on illegal mining, the meeting of the ministry's Coordination-cum-Empowered Committee (CEC, which is headed by Secretary in the ministry) assumes a lot of significance.
According to official sources, the CEC is expected to take up a review of steps taken by individual States to prevent the unlawful exploration activity in their respective jurisdiction, with representatives of 11 States mainly Goa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa among others.
Principal Secretaries in charge of mining department of these States would be attending the meeting where, among the aforementioned issue, the CEC would also be seeking an update on the progress undertaken by the States on the preliminary recommendation of Justice Shah Commission (which was formed by the Centre to suggest ways to curb the menace).
Sources said that though the three-member panel is currently travelling to various States and taking stock of the ground reality regarding illegal mining activities there, the CEC wants an update from the States directly in order to see whether they have started implementing the Commission's suggestions or not.
Though the CEC meets on a quarterly basis, the burning significance of the illegal mining issue over the last few months (especially after unlawful iron ore mining was banned in Karnataka by Supreme Court in August last year), and the Commission's suggestion of banning illegal mining completely at the national level, provides a lot of topicality to the meeting.
Apart from this, the CEC would also review the action taken by States on violations reported by Indian Bureau of Mines in various pits, ministry sources said.
With representatives from Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) also expected to participate in the January 16 meeting, the Mines Ministry would also seek to know from them the status of clearances given to various mineral contracts and what steps have been taken to expedite these.
According to ministry sources, during the previous meeting of the CEC, held in September last year, it was decided that the State Governments would prepare a list of cases awaiting forest clearance and send it to the MOEF, so that they could be expeditiously followed up.
