The amendments proposed in the Bill are intended to bring mega-reforms in mines with solutions to legacy issues and make a large number of mines available for auction.
Minister of Mines Pralhad Joshi on Monday introduced a Bill to amend the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 in the Lok Sabha.
The amendments proposed in the Bill are aimed at mega reforms in mines along with resolving issues of heritage of mines and making a large number of mines available for auction. This will help strengthen auction-only governance and promote transparency in the system.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor protested the introduction of the bill, saying he had three objections to the bill.
Mr. Tharoor said that the bill fails to acknowledge the adverse effects on the environment and biodiversity, is a threat to the lives of people living close to the mines, and also imposes on the federal structure.
Shri Joshi said that regulation of mines, mineral development is under the control of the central government as per the constitution.
The reforms as part of the bill include bridging the gap between captive and non-captive mines and incorporating an index-based mechanism by developing a National Mineral Index (NMI) for various statutory payments.
To promote exploration, the functioning of the National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) will be reviewed. NMET will be made an autonomous body.
Private institutions will also be engaged in the investigation. Simplification of exploration governance will also be done to facilitate seamless transition from exploration to production.
The main objectives of the reforms are to create huge employment opportunities, reduce imports and increase production by bringing large mineral blocks at auction.
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