Mining engineers’ body MEAI urges government to amend MMDR Act

KOLKATA: Mining Engineers Association of India (MEAI), a national body of 5000 mining engineers, has appealed to the Prime Minister Office to take steps to amend the Mines & Mineral Development & Regulation (MMDR) Act to correct anomalies within it, following the Supreme Court (SC) judgement which makes operation of several mines in the country questionable. The MEAI has also sought co-operation from the minister of mines and chief ministers of Goa and Odisha to restore mining and revive economic growth. The SC Judgment in Goa case in April 2014 and SC interim order in Odisha case in May 2014, held that mines operating in Goa and Odisha under deemed extension beyond renewal was illegal.

“The apex court has also held that lessee may carry out all activities connected with mining within the leased area and tailings and rejects excavated during mining operations cannot be kept by the lessees beyond the leased area. Further tailing and rejects will be eligible for royalty, the moment they are removed from the leased area. The SC Judgment brought out a serious anomaly in the Mineral Concession Rules and the Mineral Conservation and Development Rules, 1988 vis-à-vis the MMDR Act which makes operations of several mines in India questionable and against the spirit of the judgment as on date,” the engineers’ association said in a statement. Unless the lawmakers remove this inconsistency between the Acts and the Rules, ban in Goa which led to the ban in Odisha is bound to spread nationwide to other states as well bringing the national economy to a grinding halt. Once this amendment is made and mining ban is removed, MEAI volunteers to be an ombudsman and work with the government to ensure safe, responsible & eco-friendly mining.

The association is preparing a memorandum to be presented to Prime Minister and union minister of mines to explain that the states need to clear renewal of leases on time and also why it is an established scientific practice world-wide to dump tailings and rejects outside the mining lease. The association also welcomed the initiative of Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to discuss issues arising from the ban of mining activities within a kilometre of national parks and sanctuaries with union environment minister Prakash Javadekar. A Bagchhi, president, MEAI said: “Mining is oxygen to the infrastructure, power, steel, transport, housing, and manufacturing industry. We appeal to Prime Minister to restore mining operations that can kick start the economic revival process in India and make simple mining laws to avoid such misunderstanding.”