New mining policy to be released by month-end

The new policy proposes to offer sand to people building houses for less than ₹10 lakh at a nominal rate of ₹100 per tonne excluding transportation cost.

Murgesh R Nirani, Minister for Mines and Geology, speaking in a press meet at DC office, in Mangaluru on April 08, 2021.

Mines and Geology Minister Murugesh Nirani on Thursday said that the new mining policy, with a chapter for three coastal districts, will be released by this month-end.

Speaking to reporters here, Mr. Nirani said that the draft of the policy was ready and it would be sent to district level officials, experts and senior journalists for vetting and getting suggestions. The department was also preparing Vision 2050 so as to plan for the next 30 years seeking suggestions from various stakeholders regarding environment-friendly mining activities.

The Minister said that a majority of stone quarry owners in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi had demanded exemption from obtaining explosive licence from the Directorate General of Mines Safety as they operated on less than five acres of land. The government has accepted their demand while those operating in more than five acres of land were asked to procure the licence within 90 days.

The Hatti Gold Mines, from where about 1.7 tonnes of gold are being obtained annually, will be renamed as Karnataka Hatti Gold Mines Ltd. on April 30 on the occasion of Gani Adalat in Bengaluru. The department is planning to sell mined gold in the form of coins with the State emblem on the one side and images of prominent personalities of the State on the other, instead of in gold bars to popularise the name of the State. Vast quantity of tailing (mineral sand) will be examined as to the content of gold at Hatti as well as Kolar Gold Fields and if found feasible, tailing will be reprocessed to obtain gold.

The new policy, Mr. Nirani said, proposes to offer sand to people building houses for less than ₹10 lakh at a nominal rate of ₹100 per tonne excluding transportation cost. Others would have to buy sand at the prescribed rates after paying royalty to the government. There was no dearth of sand in the State, the Minister said and added that the department would rectify gaps between demand and supply.

The department would also arrange for a single-window system for obtaining mining licences to save entrepreneurs from approaching at least seven other departments involved in the process. It would construct its own buildings, Khanija Bhavans, in all district headquarters at a cost of ₹1.5 crore each, Mr. Nirani added.