the goan I network
PANAJI
Union Minister of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Mines, Narendra Singh Tomar, chaired a high-profile meeting of mines ministers from several states of the country in Goa. Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar, who is also state’s mines minister, attended the meeting.
Speaking to media persons after the meeting, Tomar said, “As of now, 88 mineral blocks have been identified for auction in India. Of these, 33 blocks have been auctioned. This (the auction) has generated an income of Rs 1,28,000 crore, which the states will receive in the prescribed
period.”
Tomar continued, “If the process of auction had not been followed and the provision for DMF (District Mineral Foundation) weren’t made, the states wouldn’t have earned so much income. Of Rs 1,28,000 crore, Rs 98,000 crore was due to only
auctions.”
Tomar further informed that overall 72 mineral blocks have to be auctioned in 2017-18 and another 51 blocks will be auctioned in 2018-19.
Talking more about the meeting with states’ mines ministers, Tomar said, “Today, we discussed that the remaining mineral blocks should be auctioned swiftly. When MMDR Act (Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act) was amended last time, the central government had
brought in a provision that no mining lease will have more than 50 years lease period. There are many mines in India, which fall in this category by 2020. Therefore, centre and states today discussed that the auction process of those mines, which will finish 50 year lease period by 2020, should start from now itself.”
