(a) whether the lease period for open mining and minor mining areas in various States including Maharashtra has been extended;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the employment avenues likely to be created in mining sector in various States including Maharashtra, especially in Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe areas during 2000;
(d) whether any time limit has been prescribed for granting sanction for the lease, its renewal and transfer; and
(e) if so, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF MINES (SHRI JAYSINGRAO GAIKWAD PATIL)
(a)&(b): Following the amendments in the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act,1957 in January,1994, the lease period for all major minerals (minerals other than minor minerals defined under section 3(e) of the Act) has been enhanced from maximum of twenty years to thirty years which is applicable to all States including the State of Maharashtra . The lease period for minor minerals is governed by the Minor Mineral Concession Rules of the respective State Governments.
(c) Segregated information regarding employment avenues in mining sector in various States including Maharashtra especially in Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe areas are not maintained as such. As per information available with Indian Bureau of Mines, a subordinate office of the Ministry of Mines, the SC/ST dominated areas where mining work is being undertaken are Amravati, Bhandara, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Gondia and Nagpur in the State of Maharashtra; Balaghat, Betul, Chhindawara, Dhar, Jhabua, Khargaon and Seoni in the State of Madhya Pradesh; and Jashpur, Korba, Janjgir, Champa, Kanker, Dantewara, Raigarh, Rajnandgaon and Durg in the State of Chhattisgarh.
(d)&(e) The existing provisions of Mineral Concession Rules,1960 do not prescribe any time limit for granting sanction of mining lease, its renewal and transfer.