PANJIM: Surveillance, sustainability and inter-generational equity are amongst some of the crucial aspects that would be incorporated in the new National Mineral Policy (NMP), the drafting of which has commenced.
The first meeting of the committee, constituted by the Union Ministry of Mines to review the National Mineral Policy (NMP) 2008 in a bid to bring about more transparency and ensure a balanced and sustainable growth in the sector, held last week.
Union Secretary Mines Arun Kumar said that one impetus for revisit of the NMP 2008 has come from the Supreme Court’s verdict of August 2, 2017 in regards to illegal mining in Orissa.
“Drawing on the experience of working with the amended provisions of the Mines and Minerals Development Regulation (MMDR) Act in the past two years there may be some areas in the NMP 2008 which may require revisiting,” the minutes of the meeting, quoted Kumar saying.
Added to this he said there may be certain new issues that might be considered by the Committee for incorporation in the policy document like surveillance/monitoring, efficient mechanisms for grant of statutory clearances, sustainability, inter-generational equity, macro environmental impact assessment, etc.
Committee chairman and additional secretary Mines K Rajeswara Rao said that the Committee is embarking on a major exercise as certain developments in the mining sector in some states have drawn the attention of the civil society and the Supreme Court. “In this context he stated that the mandate before the Committee is to work for an improved, implementable and practical policy,” he stated.
The committee has to submit its report by October 31. The drafting of new NMP, will be followed by revamped Goa Mineral Policy, which was drafted in 2013.
The ministry has periodically carried out important changes to the mining laws, rules and regulations after the MMDR Act 2015 was passed with the aim of infusing more transparency in the mineral sector.
Measures for conservation and mineral development with due regard to environmental protection and assessment of carrying capacity in specific regions, recommendations to improve survey and exploration of minerals, scientific methods, manpower development, plan to develop strategic minerals are other issues to be covered by the Committee.
