Acting upon the order of the Supreme Court in a case of illegal mining in Odisha, the Union mines ministry has constituted a committee to examine the existing National Mineral Policy framed in 2008. The panel’s mandate is to vet the shortcomings in the existing policy and also prepare the ground for a new policy.
The apex court, disposing off a writ petition filed by Common Cause, had asked the Government of India to have a fresh look at the almost decade old National Mineral Policy-2008 especially on the areas of conservation and development.
The committee would be headed by K Rajeshwara Rao, additional secretary with the central mines ministry. This panel would have adequate representation from the ministries of forest & environment & climate change, transport & highways, coal, finance, shipping and from organizations such as Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), Railway Board, Geological Survey of India (GSI) and Niti Aayog along with industry associations like CII, Assocham and FICCI. Mining secretaries from all mineral bearing states would figure in the panel.
The mandate of the committee is to review the present policy- the need for bringing in further transparency, balanced social and economic growth and sustainability of the mining industry. It will suggest recommendations for conservation and mineral development along with protection of the environment and measures to assess the carrying capacity of mining in states or regions. That apart, the committee is mandated to examine and make recommendations for development of strategic minerals, examine and review fiscal aspects conducive to the promotion of mineral exploration and development, including beneficiation and other forms of refinement. The committee would submit its report by October 31 this year.
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