Lok Sabha Question No. 1651 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-28
Subject: National Mineral Exploration Trust
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: M. CHANDRAKASI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1651 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28 TH  DECEMBER, 2017

## National Mineral Exploration Trust

## 1651.  SHRI M. CHANDRAKASI:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether National Mineral Exploration Trust has been set up to promote noncoal minerals and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether all States/UTs have set up District Mineral foundations in pursuance of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015 and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c)  the steps taken to monitor implementation of various provisions of the said act?

## ANSWER

## THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  FOR  MINES  (SHRI  HARIBHAI  PARTHIBHAI CHAUDHARY)

(a):  In  pursuance  of  section  9C  of  the  Mines  and  Minerals  (Development  and Regulation) ( MMDR ) Amendment Act 2015, the National Mineral Exploration Trust ( NMET )  was  set  up  vide  gazette  notification  No.  G.S.R.  633(E)  dated  14.8.2015 and  the  National  Mineral  Exploration  Trust  Rules  2015  were  also  notified  vide Gazette Notification No. G.S.R. 632 (E) dated 14.8.2015, with the prime objective of  promoting  mineral  exploration  in  the  country.  The  MMDR  Amendment  Act prescribes  payment  to  the  NMET,  a  sum  equivalent  to  2%  of  the  royalty  paid  in terms of the minerals listed in the Second Schedule.

(b):  As  per  the  information  made  available  by  the  12  major  minerals  rich  States namely  Goa,  Karnataka,  Chhattisgarh,  Odisha,  Jharkhand,  Madhya  Pradesh, Rajasthan,  Telangana,  Andhra  Pradesh,  Gujarat,  Maharashtra  and  Tamil  Nadu, District Mineral Foundation (DMF) rules have been framed and DMF has been set up in 338 districts of these States.  The details in this regard are at Annexure .

(c): The Ministry has notified rules under the MMDR Amendment Act, 2015 which are  being  implemented  both  by  the  central  agencies  i.e.  Indian  Bureau  of  Mines ( IBM ),  a  sub-ordinate  office  under the  administrative control of Ministry of Mines, and State Government agencies.

The  Ministry  of  Mines  also  conducts  various  meetings  with  the  State Government  Officials  from  time  to  time  to  ensure  proper  implementation  of  the provisions of the Act. The Ministry of Mines interacts with the State Government on the difficulties being faced by them and provides the handholding support to them in  the  form  of  directions,  guidelines,  clarifications,  circular  and  amendment,  as required.

Apart  from  the  above,  a  'Star  Rating'  system  has  been  instituted  to recognise the efforts and initiatives taken for undertaking sustainable mining, which is  based  on  self  assessment  by  the  lessees.  This  has  been  made  a  statutory requirement under rule 35 of the Mineral Conservation Development Rules, 2017, which mandates that all working mines of major minerals require to have at least 4 star rating.

The Ministry of Mines, through IBM, has developed the Mining Surveillance System  (MSS),  a  satellite  based  monitoring  system  which  aims  to  check  illegal mining activity through automatic remote sensing detection technology in order to establish  a  regime  of  responsive  mineral  administration.  The  system  records activity outside the lease boundary and generates a trigger for action on part of the State Governments  to  investigate encroachment  or  illegal mining and  take necessary action. MSS has been made functional throughout the country for major minerals. Ministry of Mines has requested the State Governments to extend MSS for minor minerals also.

***

## ANNEXURE

## District Mineral Foundation Figures for 12 Major Mineral Rich States (source: State Governments)

## (Figures in Rs. Crores)

| S. No   | State          | State Governments informed on   | DMF figures as on   | Whether rules for DMF notified   | Whether rules for DMF notified   | Total District s   | Total Number of district s in which DMF has been set up   | Date of setting up of DMF   | Date of setting up of DMF   | Total amount collected under DMF in respect of Coal & Lignite   | Total amount collected under DMF in respect of Minor Minerals   | Total amount collected under DMF in respect of Major Minerals (Other than Coal & Lignite )   | Total amount collecte d under DMF   |
|---------|----------------|---------------------------------|---------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|--------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
| S. No   | State          | State Governments informed on   | DMF figures as on   | For Major Mineral s              | For Minor Mineral s              | Total District s   | Total Number of district s in which DMF has been set up   | For Major Minerals          | For Minor Minerals          | Total amount collected under DMF in respect of Coal & Lignite   | Total amount collected under DMF in respect of Minor Minerals   | Total amount collected under DMF in respect of Major Minerals (Other than Coal & Lignite )   | Total amount collecte d under DMF   |
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh | 07.12.2017                      | 30.11.2017          | Yes                              | Yes                              | 13                 | 13                                                        | 27.06.2015                  | 27.06.2015                  | 0                                                               | 165                                                             | 157                                                                                          | 322                                 |
| 2       | Chhattisgarh   | 07.12.2017                      | 30.11.2017          | Yes                              | Yes                              | 27                 | 27                                                        | 22.12.2015                  | 02.01.2016                  | 1450                                                            | 59                                                              | 822                                                                                          | 2331                                |
| 3       | Goa            | 08.12.2017                      | 30.11.2017          | Yes                              | N/A                              | 2                  | 2                                                         | 30.04.2015                  | N/A                         | N/A                                                             | Nil                                                             | 140                                                                                          | 140                                 |
| 4       | Gujarat        | 07.12.2017                      | 30.11.2017          | Yes                              | Yes                              | 33                 | 32                                                        | 01.04.2016                  | 01.04.2016                  | 50                                                              | 72                                                              | 122                                                                                          | 244                                 |
| 5       | Jharkhand      | 18.11.2017                      | 30.11.2017          | Yes                              | Yes                              | 24                 | 24                                                        | 23.03.2016                  | 13.01.2017                  | 1904                                                            | 25                                                              | 385                                                                                          | 2314                                |
| 6       | Karnataka      | 14.11.2017                      | 30.11.2017          | Yes                              | Yes                              | 31                 | 31                                                        | 11.01.2016                  | 12.08.2016                  |                                                                 |                                                                 |                                                                                              | 608                                 |
| 7       | Maharashtra    | 16.11.2017                      | 30.11.2017          | Yes                              | Yes                              | 36                 | 35                                                        | 01.09.2016                  | 01.09.2016                  | 304                                                             | 87                                                              | 96                                                                                           | 487                                 |
| 8       | Madhya Pradesh | 07.12.2017                      | 30.11.2017          | Yes                              | N/A                              | 51                 | 51                                                        | 15.05.2015                  | N/A                         | 1223                                                            | Nil                                                             | 226                                                                                          | 1449                                |
| 9       | Odisha         | 03.11.2017                      | 30.10.2017          | Yes                              | Yes                              | 30                 | 30                                                        | 18.08.2015                  | 18.08.2015                  | 1295                                                            | 26                                                              | 2227                                                                                         | 3548                                |
| 10      | Rajasthan      | 08.12.2017                      | 30.11.2017          | Yes                              | Yes                              | 33                 | 33                                                        | 31.05.2016                  | 31.05.2016                  |                                                                 |                                                                 |                                                                                              | 1235                                |
| 11      | Telangana      | 16.11.2017                      | 30.11.2017          | Yes                              | Yes                              | 31                 | 30                                                        | 20.01.2016                  | 20.01.2016                  | 328                                                             | 167                                                             | 108                                                                                          | 603                                 |
| 12      | Tamilnadu      | 14.11.2017                      | 30.11.2017          | Yes                              | Yes                              | 32                 | 30                                                        | 19.05.2017                  | 19.05.2017                  | 40                                                              | 13                                                              | 64                                                                                           | 117                                 |
| Total   | Total          |                                 |                     |                                  |                                  | 343                | 338                                                       |                             |                             | 6594                                                            | 701                                                             | 4826                                                                                         | 13398                               |