On July 26, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill of 2023 was presented at the Lok Sabha. The bill seeks to make changes to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act of 1957. The act oversees the country’s mining sector.
For the purpose of regulating the mining sector, the Act divides mining-related activities into three main categories.
These types are:
- Reconnaissance. This involves a preliminary survey that helps identify mineral resources.
- Probe. This involves discovering, fetching and proving mineral deposits.
- Mining. This is clearly a commercial act of mining.
Context to date: The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act 1957 was amended in 2015. The purpose behind the amendment was to implement the allocation of mineral concessions. auction-based to bring transparency and form a District Minerals Authority (DMF) for the welfare of affected communities. It also seeks to establish a National Mineral Exploration Fund (NMET) to encourage exploration, as well as to introduce severe penalties in the case of illegal mining.
However, in 2016 and 2020, the Act was revised again to address specific emerging issues. The Act was last revised in 2021 to introduce further reforms in this area. These reforms included eliminating the distinction between commercial and captive mines.
Despite numerous amendments, the mineral industry still requires further reform, especially intensification of the extraction and exploration of important minerals, which are essential for national security and economic development in the region. water.
Supply disruption problems can result from a lack of important minerals or from their concentration. So the Act needs to be further amended to address those challenges.
With the country’s commitment to energy transition as well as reaching the Net-Zero emissions milestone by 2070, key minerals have acquired considerable importance.
Let’s understand the three types, one by one.
Reconnaissance:
The Act states that reconnaissance means activities carried out for the purpose of preliminary exploration. Such actions include aerial surveying, along with geochemical and geophysical surveys. Geological mapping is also one such activity. The Act does not allow drilling, pitting, subsurface digging, and trenching. However, the Bill does permit these prohibited acts.
Probe:
The Act made concessions such as scouting licenses for scouting, mining leases, exploration licenses, and general permits. The bill introduces an exploration license that allows exploration or reconnaissance or even both activities in the case of specified minerals.
Auction of exploration license
The state government will issue exploration licenses through competitive bidding. Details such as how the auction will be conducted and terms and conditions will be determined by the central government.
Maximum area allowed to perform the act
Under the Act, activities in an area of up to 25 square kilometers are allowed through an exploration permit. Operations over 5,000 square kilometers are permitted under a single reconnaissance permit.
Under a single exploration permit, the Bill authorizes activities within an area of 1,000 square kilometers.
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Source: pagasa.edu.vn