Minor Minerals Rules, 1996

• 16 Jul 2022

Why in News?

• The council of ministers meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 15, 2022, approved by the Council of Ministers regarding amendment to the Madhya Pradesh Minor Minerals Rules, 1996.

Key Points

• At present, the rules lay down the procedure for grant of quarrying lease through e-tender. Now, the rules for allotment of excavated lease and consolidated licence from e-tender have been amended separately.
• In private land, the present rule provides for allotment of quarrying lease of Schedule-V to the land owner or his consenting holder. The present provision also makes it mandatory for the land owner to undertake prospecting licence before granting the excavation lease.
• The present laid down procedure is consolidated licence, therefore, the rules provide for inclusion of the word "consolidated licence" in place of the word 'grant of excavation lease on private land'.
• The present rules do not require royalty and transport permit for use of their own works on the mud, siltation emanating from government ponds and other structures constructed/maintained by government ponds and other structures with the permission of the Government Department and the ponds and other structures constructed/maintained by them with the permission of the Gram Panchayat. Now royalty and transport permit will not be required even on soil along with the sludge, silt that is coming out.
• The existing rules provide for one-time deposit of advance dead tax due by the 20th of the first month of the year for the excavation lease. Now, provisions have been made to deposit this amount from the lessees in two instalments in advance.
• Interest of 12 percent per annum can be paid on late payment of research (compulsory rent, ownership, surface rent, amount of District Mineral Establishment and other dues) of minerals specified in Schedule-I, Schedule-II and Schedule-V.
• Apart from the above, other technical reforms have been made in the Madhya Pradesh Minor Minerals Rules, 1996, which will enable speeding up of allocation of mines in the State, encouraging investment in the State and creating employment opportunities with increase in mineral revenue.