(a) whether the Government has some special schemes to improve granite extraction;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the total quantity of granite reserve at present, State-wise and Union Territory-wise;
(d) the quantity of granite exported during each of the last three years;
(e) whether the granite export has been badly affected during recent years;
(f) if so, the details alongwith the reasons therefore; and
(g) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF MINES (DR. T. SUBBARAMMI REDDY).
(a)& (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 throughout the country.
The Central Government has constituted a Granite Development Council(GDC) including various
stakeholders to discuss and redress issues raised by granite industry.
(c ): As per available information, resources of granite( as per United Nation Framework
classification) as on 1-4-2000 are as follows:
State (in`000 cu.m)
Andhra Pradesh 2405890 Assam 583950 Bihar 877612 Chattisgarh 50057 Gujarat 421296 Haryana 34000 Jharkhand 8847364 Karantaka 9307678 Kerala 2808 Madhya Pradesh 1994084 Maharasthra 1158847 Meghalaya 286467 Orissa 1843060 Rajasthan 8525208 Tamil Nadu 559435 Uttar Pradresh 494819 West Bengal 33426 All India Total 37426001
Year 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 Quantity (in tonnes) 2098169 2608556 2841066