Question : ILLEGAL MINING

(a) whether the Union Government has made any payment to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and other remote sensing organizations engaged for detecting illegal mining;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether there are reports that some companies involved earlier in illegal mining and violating Supreme Court orders in various parts of the country have been given fresh approval by the State Governments and clearance from the Union Government;

(d) if so, the details thereof and the reasons for giving clerarance by the Union Government, State / UT-wise;

(e) whether any status report has been sought by the Union Government from some States about illegal mining; and

(f) if so, the details thereof, State / UT-wise including Maharashtra along with the action taken by the Union Government in this regard?

THE MINISTER OF MINES (SHRI DINSHA PATEL)

(a) to (b): No Madam. However, Indian Bureau of Mines a subordinate office of the Ministry of Mines has procured 13 satellite imageries from National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Indian Space Research Organisation at a cost of Rs.1,08,000/- for identification of mining excavations towards formulation of mineral development plan in Adityana & Bhakharala villages in Porbandar district of Gujarat.

(c) No Madam.

(d) Does not arise in view of (c) above.

(e) to (f) No Madam. As per section 23C of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (Act), the State Governments have been empowered to make rules for preventing illegal mining, transportation and storage of minerals; and the Central Government has no powers to revise any order passed by a State Government or any of its authorised officers or any authority under the rules made under Section 23C of the Act.

Since the State Governments deal with cases of illegal mining, specific details are not centrally maintained in the Ministry. However, information has been compiled by Indian Bureau of Mines based on the data provided by the State Governments in the quarterly returns on illegal mining, showing year-wise details of cases of illegal mining detected and action taken by State Governments for the last four years 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 (provisional) which is given as Annexure.