Question : GRANITE MINING

(a) whether the Government has formulated any special plan to improve and monitor mining and extraction of granite;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) the total stock of Granite in the country, State/UT-wise;

(d) the quantum of Granite exported during each of the last three years and the current year;

(e) whether the export of Granite has been affected in the recent times;

(f) if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor; and

(g) the steps taken by the Government in this direction?

THE MINISTER OF MINES (SHRI DINSHA PATEL)

(a) to (b): Granite is a minor mineral defined under Section 3(e) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act) and as per Section 15 of the MMDR Act, 1957, all powers to make rules and grant mineral concessions for minor minerals have been given to the concerned State Government. The Central Government has notified the Granite Conservation and Development Rules, 1999 on 1st June, 1999 to conserve the granite resources and to prescribe a uniform frame work with regard to systematic and scientific exploitation of granite through out the country.

(c): As per available information, reserve/resources detail of granite as on 1.04.2010 is annexed.

(d): Exports of Granite have increased. The quantity of exported during the last three years is given below:

(Quantity in Tonnes)

2009-10	2010-11	2011-12(P)	2012-13	(Upto Nov.)

Granite	3827668	4500060	4605078	3836250

(Unit: ‘000Cum)

Total

All India	46230300

Andhra Pradesh	2405890

Assam	583950

Bihar	877612

Chhattisgarh	50057

Gujarat	8501947

Haryana	34000

Jharkhand	8875340

Karnataka	9337893

Kerala	2808

Madhya Pradesh	1994084

Maharashtra	1158847

Meghalya	286467

Odishaa	1843060

Rajasthan	9190665

Tamil Nadu	559435

Uttar Pradesh	494819

West Bengal	33426