Lok Sabha Question No. 5187 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-04-05
Subject: Mining of Rare Earth Minerals
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: N.K. PREMACHANDRAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5187

TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.04.2017

## MINING OF RARE EARTH MINERALS

5187.  SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to form Joint Ventures (JV) for mining of rare  earth  minerals  with  Industrial  Development  Corporation  Orissa  Limited, Indian Rare Earth Limited and foreign based companies and if so, the details and the terms of JV thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has proposed to start collaboration with Japan with regard to the mining of the said minerals and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to involve private miners in the mining of Monazite  minerals  and  other  beach  sand  minerals  and  if  so,  the  details thereof and the steps taken by the Government in this regard and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the other steps taken by the Government to make the country self-reliant in aforementioned minerals?

## ANSWER

THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  FOR  PERSONNEL,  PUBLIC  GRIEVANCES  & PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (Dr. JITENDRA SINGH):

- (a) Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL) is in the process of forming a Joint Venture (JV)  with  Industrial  Development  Corporation  Orissa  Limited  (IDCOL)  for mining  of  BSM  which,  inter  alia,  includes  Monazite.    The  proposed  JV  has been  cleared  by  the  Board  of  IREL  and  Government  of  Odisha.  The shareholding of IREL & IDCOL in the JV Company will be in the ratio of 51% and  49%  respectively.  No  foreign  based  company  is  a  part  of  the  above proposed JV.  The JV agreement has not yet been signed.
- (b) No, Sir.

- (c) Private  miners  are  already  involved  in  the  mining  of  Beach  Sand  Minerals (BSM).    However,  the  Monazite  (prescribed  substance  as  per  the  Atomic Energy Act, 1962) which is produced during the Mineral Separation Process is not processed by the private miners.  It is stored as per guidelines stipulated by AERB.  For  the  purpose  of  conservation  of  Monazite,  Ministry  of  Mines  has published the Atomic Minerals Concession Rules (AMCR), 2016 in July 2016. As  per  the  AMCR,  BSM  deposits  containing  Monazite  above  a  particular threshold value will  be  reserved for  winning  by  agencies  to  be  nominated  by the  Government.    Further,  the  BSM  deposits  containing  Monazite  below threshold  value  will  be  open  for  all,  however,  monazite  generated  during  the mineral separation process, needs to be disposed as per guidelines of AERB.
- (d) To make the country self-reliant, the following steps have been taken :
- I) Monazite, which is found in association with other  beach  sand minerals, is the only source of rare earths in India. For the purpose of conservation of monazite, AMCR 2016 were notified by the Ministry of Mines.
- II) Further, to explore mineral resources abroad, the following steps have been taken:
- (a) A  Joint  Working  Group  (JWG)  has  been  constituted  by  the Ministry  of  Mines  on  co-operation  in  the  field  of  Mineral  resources development with Malawi.
- (b) A separate Joint Working Group (JWG) has been constituted by the Ministry of External Affairs (East Asia Division) for Rare Earths and Civil Nuclear Co-operation with Mongolia.

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