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National Mineral Policy 2006 - Department of Mines

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5.4 It would have been better if a work study to know the status <strong>of</strong> pendency<strong>of</strong> the mineral concession applications and analyze the reasons for delays wereconducted and then based on the outcome <strong>of</strong> such work study, remedialsolutions / mechanisms for avoidance <strong>of</strong> delays were suggested. It is furtherseen that neither the Ministry <strong>of</strong> <strong>Mines</strong> nor any other <strong>of</strong>ficial agency provided tothe Committee the actual statistics in support <strong>of</strong> the apprehensions about theacuteness <strong>of</strong> the problem. The Committee has straight way sought to makerecommendations to transfer the jurisdiction from the State Government to theCentral Government without deliberating / finding a statutory solution to theproblem <strong>of</strong> delays that would take place at the level <strong>of</strong> the Central Government.The prime facie view <strong>of</strong> the most Committee members during the deliberationswas that it would not be possible to put in place any statutory mechanism toensure disposal <strong>of</strong> revision applications by the Central Government within thespecified time period.5.5 It has been presumed in the Draft Report that by transferring thejurisdiction from the State Governments to the Central Government, theproblem <strong>of</strong> alleged delays in the disposal <strong>of</strong> mineral concession applicationswould get solved. However, such presumption is not valid and the suggestedsolution would not work. Presently, the tribunal exercising the powers <strong>of</strong> theCentral Government under section 30 <strong>of</strong> the MMDR Act 1957 takesinordinately long period <strong>of</strong> time in deciding the revision applications, whichfinds no mention in the Report. Solution suggested in the Draft Report forensuring timely disposal <strong>of</strong> mineral concession applications is not likely todeliver unless some foolpro<strong>of</strong> mechanism is also put in place to decide therevision cases in a time bound manner. In our view, no such foolpro<strong>of</strong> statutorysolution is possible. Therefore, the net result <strong>of</strong> the impugned recommendationswould be that only the original jurisdiction would get transferred to the CentralGovernment without any effective statutory mechanism to ensure that thetransferred cases shall get decided within the specified time limits. Theproposed recommendations are, therefore, not a solution to the problem and willonly deprive the State <strong>of</strong> their powers.5.6 It is seen that whereas the impugned recommendations contain theminutest details as to what new clause in section 30 and what new rule as Rule54 A should be enacted / framed for transferring the jurisdiction from the Statesto the Centre, nothing <strong>of</strong> the sort has been done / reflected about the exercise <strong>of</strong>the powers in a time bound manner by the Central Governments inspite <strong>of</strong>flagging <strong>of</strong> this issue at the initial stages <strong>of</strong> deliberations on the report <strong>of</strong> theCommittee.5.7 Members <strong>of</strong> the Committee were informed that the secretariat <strong>of</strong> theCommittee had obtained legal opinion on the issue whether the CentralGovernment, to ensure time bound disposal <strong>of</strong> the mineral concession263

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