Odisha extends lease period of 56 mines

Bhubaneswar, Dec 13: The Odisha government has approved the extension of the lease period of 56 mines under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015.

Lease periods of 56 mines have been extended and two of these leases have been renewed, steel and mines minister Prafulla Mallick told the state assembly on Friday in reply to a question.

The state government had earned about Rs 1388 crore as registration fee and stamp duty from these mines, he said.

The recommendation for reopening of these mines was made by an inter-departmental committee headed by the development commissioner, a mines official said on Saturday.

The state government extended the lease period following the guidelines of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015.

The new law had done away with the provision of renewal of mining lease, the official said.

Instead all leases awaiting renewal are automatically allowed to operate till 2020 in case of merchant mines and up to 2030 for captive mines. However, the government has put some conditions in extending the lease period of the mines.

All such lessees will have to comply with the Supreme Court order to be pronounced in the final disposal of the cases relating to these mines as well as pending orders on recommendations of the M.B. Shah commission of inquiry and the central empowered committee (CEC) on illegal mining in the state, sources said.  (IANS)