Lok Sabha Question No. 2353 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-16
Subject: Non-functional Mines
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: JUGAL KISHORE SHARMA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2353

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 16 TH  MARCH, 2017

## NON-FUNCTIONAL MINES

## †2353. SHRI JUGAL KISHORE:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a)  the number of non-functional mines in the country as on date, State-wise;
- (b)  whether some of these mines have not been developed by the Government during the last as well as current plan period, and if so, the reasons therefor;
- (c)  whether the Government proposes to cancel the mining leases of such mines and if   so, the details thereof; and
- (d)  the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to make them functional at the earliest?

## ANSWER

## THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  FOR  POWER,  COAL, NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND MINES (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

(a): As per information made available by Indian Bureau of Mines, a sub-ordinate office of the Ministry  of  Mines,  the  number  of  non-working  mines  in  the  country  (State-wise)  as  on 09.03.2017 is given at Annexure .

(b) to (d): State Governments grant mineral concessions. Compliance of the provisions of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 and the rules framed thereunder are monitored by the Indian Bureau of Mines (a subordinate office of Ministry of Mines) and the State Government, including the non-working mines.

There could be various reasons for the mining leases to be non-working, such as: (i) want of clearances under Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and other statutory provisions; (ii) suspension of mining operations on account of court orders; or (iii)  temporary suspension of mining operations for violation of lease conditions. Commencement  of  mining  operations  in  such  leases  would  be  subject  to  obtaining  the necessary clearances, the outcome of the court cases, or the rectification of the lease violation, as the case may be.

Section 4A(4) of the MMDR Act provides for lapsing of the leases wherein the holder of a mining lease fails to undertake mining operations for a period of two years after the date of execution of the lease or having commenced mining operations, has discontinued the same for a period of two years.  State Governments enforce the provisions of the said section and leases found to be in violation of the said provision are liable to be lapsed in accordance with the  procedure  contemplated  in  rule  20(2)  of  the  Minerals  (Other  than  Atomic  and  Hydro Carbon  Energy  Minerals)  Concession  Rules,  2016,  whereby  the  lapsing  of  a  mining  lease shall  be  recorded  through  an  order  issued  by  the  State  Government  and  shall  also  be communicated to the lessee.

Once such leases are lapsed/cancelled, they  can be put to  auction by the concerned State Government for commencement of the mining operations and production of minerals.

Annexure  mentioned  in  reply  to  Lok  Sabha  unstarred  question  number  2353  for 16.03.2017 regarding non-functional mines asked by Shri Jugal Kishore

State-wise details of non-working mines as on 09/03/2017

| Sl. No.     | Name of the State   |   Number of Non-Working Mines |
|-------------|---------------------|-------------------------------|
| 1           | Goa                 |                           211 |
| 2           | Jammu and Kashmir   |                            03 |
| 3           | Haryana             |                            04 |
| 4           | Uttarakhand         |                            04 |
| 5           | Himachal Pradesh    |                            23 |
| 6           | Gujarat             |                           205 |
| 7           | Jharkhand           |                            78 |
| 8           | West Bengal         |                            04 |
| 9           | Sikkim              |                            03 |
| 10          | Andhra Pradesh      |                           275 |
| 11          | Telengana           |                            45 |
| 12          | Odisha              |                           309 |
| 13          | Maharashtra         |                            51 |
| 14          | Chhattisgarh        |                            66 |
| 15          | Tamil Nadu          |                           248 |
| 16          | Karnataka           |                           194 |
| 17          | Kerala              |                            02 |
| 18          | Madhya Pradesh      |                           381 |
| 19          | Uttar Pradesh       |                            02 |
| 20          | Bihar               |                            01 |
| 21          | Rajasthan           |                            73 |
| 22          | Assam               |                            04 |
| 23          | Meghalaya           |                            04 |
| 24          | Manipur             |                            01 |
| Grand Total | Grand Total         |                          2191 |