With more than 300 proposed mines facing the prospect of becoming non-starters due to their inability to secure environmental clearances before a January 11, 2017, deadline to register mining leases, the Centre has stepped in to give a fresh lease of life for such mines by allowing States to grant such leases irrespective of the status of the environmental clearance.
However, miners have been prohibited from initiating operations at such mines till the time they secure the requisite green clearances, as per an order notified by the Mines Ministry.
Letter of Intent
Since the Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act of 2015 requires all mining rights to be auctioned, all miners who had secured a Letter of Intent for operating a mine from a State government before January 12, 2015, were given a two-year window to execute and register their mining leases.
