Latest news with #MMDRAct
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Can fine 100% value of mineral quarried sans green nod: Madras High Court
By virtue of the authoritative pronouncement of the judgment by the SC in the Common Cause case, read with section 20 (a) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act 1957, it can be seen that the state, as a delegatee in framing rules relating to minor minerals, could not have created any contra rules that overreach or supersede the notifications issued by the centre. 'Consequently, notwithstanding Rule 42 (iii) of the TN Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1959, which grants 630 days of time, I hold that both the lessees of major and minor minerals of less than 5 ha are mandated to obtain EC, even if they are existing lessees and their renewal is not due as of 15.01.2016,' the order read. Justice Chakravarthy stated once it has been established that it is a mandate of law, merely because there were some actions taken by the state government and the MoEF in issuing clarifications, it cannot be claimed that Section 21 (5) of the MMDR Act, 1957 cannot be enforced. He upheld the individual orders of the collectors, challenged in the writ pleas, which impose 100% penalty of the minerals' value under the MMDR Act. However, he ordered deducting the seiniorage fees already paid by the lessees from the penalty amount and recover the balance which shall be intimated to them within three weeks. The lessees have to pay the amount within two months thereof.
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Govt likely to amend laws to let firms explore critical minerals overseas
India is planning to amend the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act 2023 to specify the use of funds currently earmarked at ₹5,600 crore for exploring critical mineral mines overseas, according to a top official. The proposed amendments also aim to introduce a tailings policy and modify the royalty structure to facilitate the extraction of critical minerals from waste materials, the official added. These changes are expected to advance the National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM), which focuses on securing supplies of these strategically important minerals for commercial use. The NCMM has an allocated budget of ₹16,300 crore over seven years, from FY 2024–25 to FY 2030–31, with an additional ₹18,000 crore expected to be invested by Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs). The NCMM also includes initiatives to promote the recovery of critical minerals from tailings through various technologies. 'Critical minerals require certain amendments in the act. We will make some amendments in the monsoon session,' the official quoted above said. The MMDR Act, 1957, has been amended in 2015, 2016, 2020, 2021 and 2023. On 2 August, Parliament passed the MMDR Act, 2023 to attract private sector investment in the exploration of critical and deep-seated minerals in the country. 'If you are mining manganese, you can extract cobalt out of the dump. If you are mining bauxite from red mud, you can extract gallium. Basically, we want to incentivise people to extract all these critical minerals that are associated with bulk minerals. For that, we will have to bring a royalty structure which is attractive,' the official stated. Queries sent to the secretary and spokesperson for the mines ministry remained unanswered at press time. Currently, the act says that whatever royalty you give to manganese should be the same for cobalt. 'People say that they have to invest so much money in processing that they can't give so much royalty. So, we said that we will reduce the royalty,' the official added. Secondly, the mines ministry intends to spend National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) money on mineral exploration abroad, which is currently meant for mineral exploration activities within the country. 'So, we have to amend the NMET provision in the act to say that, for example, we got land in Zambia, and we are sending GSI (Geological Survey of India) and MECL (Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited) to go and explore. But they don't have money. They are a regular government department. So, we will try to support them through NMET for exploration,' the official said, indicating that there are three or four such amendments in the process. Stockpiling is one of the provisions in the mission, and the ministry is working on some guidelines for it. 'It has to be demand driven. If you stockpile everything, people won't buy. Then you will end up making losses,' the official said. Stockpiling means lending the mineral and dumping it in ore form or raw form. Tailings policy is an overarching policy. In tailings, one is to look for critical minerals. We are now going around, looking for critical minerals in the dumps. 'The amendment will be meant to encourage mine owners to look at their dumps and tailings through various technologies,' the official said.
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Puri is the only Jagannath Dham... no one, not even any neta, can replicate that faith'
Nearly a year after creating history and becoming the 1st BJP CM of Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi spoke to Manash Pratim Gohain and Dipak Dash on the twin challenge of meeting high public expectations & redefining state's development narrative. Excerpts: Did you expect to be Odisha's first BJP CM? Did you feel the pressure of stepping into a space dominated by Naveen Patnaik for over two decades? I didn't expect or think I'd become CM. Honestly, I just hoped to be a good minister. I've always worked with intention of serving people, with nationalism in my heart. I have been elected four times as an MLA. As party's chief whip, I consistently raised people's issues and questioned the Patnaik govt's policies. Perhaps that consistent public service brought me here. There was no real challenge when I took over. If you have willpower and a strong leader like PM Modi backing you, anything is possible. Yes, people only knew Naveen babu as CM for over 20 years. But governance isn't about occupying a chair. Biju babu, his father (a big leader), had to wait for 27 years to become CM for the second time. Winning repeatedly does not equal meaningful leadership. He (Naveen) didn't speak Odia, didn't meet MLAs or MPs, and didn't visit the CM grievance cell for 16 years. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Click Here - This Might Save You From Losing Money Expertinspector Click Here Undo I go there every week. I meet people at 3 am if needed. That's the kind of accessible governance people want - not isolation and silence. How has your first year in government been? We've fulfilled 11 major promises out of our '21' programmes in the manifesto. We launched the Subhadra Yojana on Sept 17, 2024, in the presence of PM Narendra Modi. We gave Rs 10,000 each to 25 lakh women that day. We have exceeded our five-year target of 1 crore beneficiaries in just a few months. We also launched CM-Kisan - adding Rs 4,000 to the Rs 6,000 given under the scheme. We provided Rs 800 as input assistance per quintal of paddy, raising the effective MSP to Rs 3,100. But it is said the BJD govt left state finances in good shape. If they had the money, why didn't they use it for the people? Why did they not give money to women and farmers? The credit goes to Modi ji, who amended the MMDR Act - turning lease-based mining into auctions with premiums. That's why Odisha is earning more today. There have been sensitive issues with neighbouring states, including Jagannath Dham in Digha. How are you addressing them? n Puri is the abode of Lord Jagannath and is the only Jagannath Dham. It is one of the Char Dhams, established since the time of Adi Shankaracharya. No one, including any political leader, can replicate or shift that faith. What's your vision for Odisha by end of your term in 2029? By 2029, Odisha will be among the top five industrialised states.
New Indian Express
26-04-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Odisha set to increase steel production capacity to 130 MT per year by 2030: CM Mohan Charan
BHUBANESWAR: Strongly pitching for Odisha as a prime destination for investment in mineral-based industries, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday unveiled an ambitious roadmap to transform the state into India's steel powerhouse. Addressing a gathering of industry leaders from the steel and metal sectors during the 'India Steel-2025' conference in Mumbai, he said steel is the mother industry of Odisha. At present, Odisha leads the country in the production of both crude steel and stainless steel, with 54 integrated steel plants and an installed capacity of 41.21 million tonne (MT) per annum. The target is to produce over 130 MT of steel a year by 2030, he said. 'The state has played a pivotal role in the success of the steel sector in the country, accounting for more than 55 per cent (pc) of the iron ore production. My home district Keonjhar alone contributes over 50 pc of Odisha's iron ore production and numerous companies have flourished through their mining operations in the district,' he added. He said Odisha has successfully auctioned 44 major mineral blocks following the amendment to the MMDR Act in 2015. Currently, the state is auctioning eight more blocks with reserves of around 323 MT and plans to auction 22 additional blocks by March 2026. India's iron ore consumption is projected to reach 340 MT by 2030-31, and Odisha aims to contribute nearly 240 to 245 MT, increasing its share in national production from 58 pc to 70 pc. 'Not only iron ore, the state with 16 operational coal mines accounts for 24 pc of the country's total output. We have produced 178 MT of iron ore, 269 MT of coal, and 3.18 MT of chromite in the last fiscal alone,' he said. The chief minister said the government is now focused on transitioning from a model of raw material extraction to value creation. 'Odisha is developing a full-fledged metal-based manufacturing value chain that will promote industries in engineering goods, transport systems, mining machinery, and components for aerospace and defence. Come, invest in Odisha and be part of the Samruddha Odisha growth story which has already begun,' he said. Majhi assured potential investors of a strong support system including land availability, road and rail connectivity, electricity, water, and a pro-industry environment. Odisha is witnessing massive infrastructure investments across railways, highways, airports, ports, logistics hubs, and power corridors, thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, he said. The chief minister also held strategic engagements with industry stakeholders in different sectors. Senior representatives from leading chemicals companies including Dow Chemicals, Epsilon Carbon, Kothari Petrochemicals and Deepak Fertilisers discussed their potential investments and expansion plans. CMD of S Kant Pharmaceuticals Bharath Shah discussed the possibilities for developing the drug manufacturing sector in the state. Steely resolve Transitioning from resource extraction to value creation 130 MT of annual steel production by 2030 Odisha to contribute 70% of India's projected 340 MT iron ore consumption by 2030-31 OMC to achieve 5 MT of iron ore production by 2029-2030 Auction of 22 more mineral blocks by March 2026
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
State targets 130MT annual steel production by 2030
1 2 Bhubaneswar: CM Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday announced ambitious plans to boost the state's steel manufacturing capacity to over 130 million tonnes annually by 2030, positioning Odisha as India's steel manufacturing hub. Speaking at the ' India Steel 2025 ' conference in Mumbai, Majhi highlighted that Odisha currently leads the nation in both crude and stainless steel production, with 54 integrated plants having a total installed capacity of 41.21 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). "We are transitioning from a model of resource extraction to value creation," stated Majhi, emphasising the state's commitment to developing a comprehensive metal-based manufacturing value chain. The ambitious target would require around 190 million tonnes of iron ore to be made available within the state. The CM assured investors of sufficient mineral resources, noting that Odisha contributes 55% of India's iron ore production . The state is now auctioning eight major mineral blocks with a combined resource of 323 million tonnes and plans to auction 22 more blocks by March 2026. "Following the 2015 MMDR Act amendment, we successfully auctioned 44 major mineral blocks. We are now proceeding with more auctions to strengthen our mineral sector," said Majhi. The CM emphasised Odisha's contribution to India's mineral production, noting that the state accounts for 47% of the total output. He projected that Odisha's share in iron ore production would increase from the current 58% to 70% by 2030-31, with production reaching 240-245 million tonnes. To support the growth, the Odisha Mining Corporation aims to increase its iron ore production to 75 million tonnes by 2029-30. State govt has also implemented a long-term 'Linkage Policy' to ensure transparent and timely raw material supply to end-users. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo The announcement aligns with India's vision for 2047 and comes amid significant infrastructure investments in railways, highways, airports and ports in the state. In the conference organised by the ministry of steel, CM Majhi chaired a session on 'State Roundtable: Odisha — Focusing on Expanding Steel Production and Raw Material Supply'. India's top steel producers, including Tata Steel, JSPL, JSW, SAIL, AM/NS and others, participated in the session.
