PANJIM | March 09, 2017: Getting tough with iron ore mining lease holders who fail to undertake activity in a sustainable manner, the Central Government has decided to suspend operations of mines that fail to obtain four-star rating within a period of two years of commencement of operations.
Further, the Union Mines Ministry has fixed a penalty in the form of imprisonment of two years or a fine up to Rs 5 lakh or both along with suspension of mining activities, if the lessee fails to undertake iron ore extraction and other activities in a sustainable manner or does not furnish or provides false information in regards to the returns, which are now to be filed daily, monthly and annually.
The Union Mines Ministry on February 27 notified the Mineral Conservation and Development Rules 2017, making it mandatory for existing mining lessees to undertake detailed exploration over the potentially mineralized area under the lease site within five years.
The Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) has renewed 89 mining leases, of which only 68 leases have been allowed to operate under the Air and Water Acts. However, hardly 20 leases have managed to commence operations in the last two seasons.
“Every holder of a mining lease shall take all possible precautions for undertaking sustainable mining while conducting prospecting, mining, beneficiation or metallurgical operations in the area,” the rules state.
It has asked lessees to ensure that operations are undertaken keeping in mind the star-rating guidelines.
“The Regional Controller or the authorised officer of the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) may suspend mining operations in those mines where at least four star rating has not been achieved within a period of two years from the date of notification of these rules or two years from the date of commencement of mining operations, as the case may be, after giving a show cause notice of forty-five days, to qualify for star rating,” the Ministry stated.
The new rules have been notified under Section 18 of the Mines and Minerals Development Regulation (MMDR) Act 1957 for the conservation and systematic development of minerals and for the protection of environment. It has laid emphasis on mining operations in sustainable manner, proper mining plans, mining closure and reclamation plan with financial assurance, penalties, filing of returns, etc.
“Whoever contravenes any of the provisions of these rules shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine which may extend to five lakh rupees, or with both, and in the case of a continuing contravention, with additional fine which may extend to fifty thousand rupees for every day during which such contravention continues after conviction for the first such contravention,” it has said.
“Provided that for repeated contravention the punishment should be in the form of imprisonment only,” it added.
(Source: http://www.heraldgoa.in/)