New Delhi: With an aim to clear hurdles in the process of mineral exploration in the country by minimizing bureaucratic factors, the Ministry of Mines has asked the state governments to provide certificates regarding the actual status of the proposed block area and land within 60 days.
The development took place following reports that there is considerable delay in a number of cases in providing the certificate of the actual status of the proposed block area and land (whether freehold, leasehold, or reserved by the state) from the state authority concerned. This has caused unnecessary delays in starting mineral exploration in the country.
General instructions have been issued for the submission of the project proposals for the National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) fund. Accordingly, the Mineral Exploration Corporation Ltd (MECL) and other notified CPSUs shall send the request letter to the state government for a certificate regarding the actual status of the proposed block area/ land (whether freehold/ leasehold/ reserved by the state) from the State authority.
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"The state government shall provide the certificate regarding the actual status of proposed block area/ land (about freehold/leasehold) within 60 days," the Ministry said. In case of non-receipt of the certificate from the state government after 60 days, the project proposal may be submitted to the NMET secretariat for technical and financial evaluation in the technical-cum-cost-committee (TCC).
"The Director, Directorate, Department of Mines and Geology, State Government will be invited to attend the TCC meeting to clarify the status of proposed block area (about freehold and leasehold) during technical evaluation of the project proposal," the Ministry said.
It further said that based on techno-economic suitability, approval will be accorded for carrying out exploration work for the project proposal. "Before starting the exploration work, MECL and other notified CPSUs shall confirm that the block area is not under any leasehold and that any other State, Central, and Private exploration agencies have not taken up exploration work in the proposed block area," said the Ministry.
Established by the central government, NMET has been funding various Notified Exploration Agencies to carry out exploration projects across the country.
