Lok Sabha Question No. 358 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-03
Subject: National Mineral Exploration Trust
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: Ritesh Pandey

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 358 ANSWERED ON 03.02.2021

## NATIONAL MINERAL EXPLORATION TRUST

## 358. SHRI RITESH PANDEY

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government established a PPP model 'National Mineral Exploration Trust' (NMET) to encourage private sector participation and for giving a fillip to mineral exploration in the country;
- (b)  the  number  of  private  exploration  agencies  empanelled  for  the NMET  till  date; and
- (c) the number of projects approved for NMET along with the details of the Mineralwise   and   State-  wise   distributions   of   mineral exploration   projects   approved under the aforesaid project till date?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF MINES, COAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI)

- (a) The Government has established National Minerals Exploration Trust (NMET) for giving a fillip to mineral exploration in the country. It has not been established on a PPP model.
- (b) No private exploration agencies have empanelled for the NMET till date.
- (c) A total of 191 number of projects have been approved till date by NMET. Details of the mineral and state wise approved projects are given below;
- i. Mineral-wise distribution of mineral exploration projects approved till date;

|   Sl. No. | Commodity          |   No. of Projects |
|-----------|--------------------|-------------------|
|         1 | Iron Ore           |                18 |
|         2 | Limestone          |                77 |
|         3 | Manganese          |                18 |
|         4 | Bauxite            |                16 |
|         5 | Copper             |                 7 |
|         6 | Gold               |                 6 |
|         7 | Gold and Basemetal |                 4 |
|         8 | Basemetal          |                 7 |
|         9 | Copper and Gold    |                 2 |
|        10 | Fe-Ni-Cr           |                 1 |
|        11 | Tin                |                 1 |

| 12   | Coal/Lignite                |   4 |
|------|-----------------------------|-----|
| 13   | PGE                         |   1 |
| 14   | Diamond                     |   2 |
| 15   | Andalusite                  |   1 |
| 16   | Fertilizer Minerals         |   4 |
| 17   | Tungsten                    |   1 |
| 18   | Magnesite                   |   1 |
| 19   | Environmental Studies       |   1 |
| 20   | Associated Minerals         |   5 |
| 21   | Molybdenum                  |   1 |
| 22   | Baseline Geoscience Surveys |  13 |
|      | Total                       | 191 |

(ii)  State-wise distribution of mineral exploration projects approved till date;

| S. No.   | Name of the State          |   No. of Projects |
|----------|----------------------------|-------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh             |                12 |
| 2        | Chhattisgarh               |                18 |
| 3        | Jharkhand                  |                 9 |
| 4        | Karnataka                  |                11 |
| 5        | Kerala                     |                 2 |
| 6        | Madhya Pradesh             |                12 |
| 7        | Maharashtra                |                 7 |
| 8        | Nagaland                   |                 2 |
| 9        | Odisha                     |                32 |
| 10       | Rajasthan                  |                19 |
| 11       | Tamil Nadu                 |                 9 |
| 12       | Telangana                  |                44 |
| 13       | Uttar Pradesh              |                 1 |
| 14       | Baseline Geoscience Survey |                13 |
|          | Total                      |               191 |

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