Mines Ministry for consistent orders on mining issues

NEW DELHI: The Mines Ministry has sought the union cabinet's approval for empowering the Centre to revise inconsistent orders passed by the state governments on mining issues.

The approval has been sought based on the recommendations of a high-level committee which reviewed the National Mineral Policy, a top Mines Ministry official said.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Coal and Steel in its latest report had observed that under the Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, the union government has no power to revise any order passed by a state government and had demanded the Centre be adequately empowered to "revise inconsistent orders passed by state governments."

The Committee also expressed its concern on illegal mining in mineral-rich states and asked the Ministry to instruct the states to frame rules to restrict the same.

So far 14 states have framed rules under MMDR Act to curb illegal mining while the rest have been asked to follow suit, the official said.

"The Committee was also perturbed to find a large number of casualties taking place on account of dubious means adopted for carrying out illegal mining particularly in coal-bearing areas of several states. It also believed that such activities necessarily involve large-scale exploitation of labourers," the panel had observed in its report.