(a) whether the Government have received any proposal from Government of Rajasthan to further amend Mines and Minerals(Regulation and Development)Act, 1957 and to give more powers to State Government under the Act and Mineral Concession Rules,1960;
(b) if so, details thereof; and
(c) the decision taken by the Union Government thereof?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF MINES (SHRI JAYSINGRAO GAIKWAD PATIL)
(a) to (c): The Government had recently amended the Mines and
Minerals(Development and Regulation)Act,1957 and notified the
same vide Gazette Notification (Extraordinary) dated 20.12.1999.
Under the amended Act, State Governments have been delegated more
powers, procedure for grant and renewal of mining
lease/prospecting licence has been simplified and State
Governments have been empowered to frame Rules for preventing
illegal mining etc. Consequential amendments in Mineral
Concession Rules,1960 have been notified in the Gazette of India
vide notifications dated 18.1.2000, 25.9.2000 and 22.1.2001.
Copies of these notifications have been laid on the Table of the
House on 3.3.2000, 27.11.2000 and 26.2.2001 respectively.