‘Mineral output to rise with changes to rules’

More blocks will be on sale: Ministry

Khammam, Telangana, 30/11/2021: The strike called by the ruling TRS-affiliated TBGKS in the government-owned Singareni coal company from Dec 9 is likely to cause production loss to the tune of 1.50 lakh tonnes of coal per day in all the 46 coal mines of the company. The TBGKS is gearing up to observe strike to press for a five-point charter of demands including removal of four coal blocks of the SCCL from the Coal Ministrys commercial mining auction list. Last year, the unions affiliated to the central trade unions observed three-day strike in the Singareni coal fields in protest against the Centres move to auction coal blocks for commercial mining. Photo: G N RAO / The Hindu

The government on Thursday said that amendment in mineral auction rules will encourage competition that will ensure more participation in the sale of blocks.

The Ministry of Mines has notified the Minerals (Evidence of Mineral Contents) Second Amendment Rules, 2021 and the Mineral (Auction) Fourth Amendment Rules, 2021 to amend the Minerals (Evidence of Mineral Contents) Rules, 2015 (MEMC Rules) and the Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015 (Auction Rules), respectively, the Mines Ministry said.

“These amendments would encourage more participation in auction and promote competition,” the Ministry said.

This will facilitate State governments in identifying more blocks for auction of composite licence.

These amendments were aimed at identifying more mineral blocks for auction and thereby increasing pace of exploration and production resulting in improving the availability of minerals in the country, it added.