National Mineral Policy 2006 - Department of Mines

fee high enough to discourage nuisance applications. This is in order to give a fair chance toeverybody interested in locating the right areas for detailed prospecting. Finally, and mostimportantly, non-exclusive RPs restrain the tendency among exclusive RP holders to actuallycross over to detailed prospecting activity over a smaller area at the expense of regionalexploration, which is the main purpose of the RP.1.40 In the current dispensation, RPs are issued on a mutually exclusive basis with arearestrictions at the state level. While 202 RPs have been granted for an area of about 270,000sq. km since the introduction of the concept in 1999, data filed by the RP holders with GSIcovers an area of 61,765 sq. km only. There is also a huge potential for regional explorationin areas where RPs have not been applied for and where GSI has not done any work by wayof regional exploration. Out of the country’s geographical area of 3.20 million sq. km, asmuch as 1.82 million sq. km is hard rock area and potentially mineral bearing. Regionalexploration through geochemical and geophysical mapping has been completed by GSI andother government agencies for not more than 12 per cent of the land most likely to bearminerals (about 570,000 sq. km) on the basis of the geological environment. Further, thereare also areas where GSI has given up work or which have been relinquished by RP holdersunder the relinquishment requirements but in which other explorers may have interest.Therefore, in areas where no one has applied for an RP and/or which have been relinquishedby GSI or other RP holders and are not covered by any current exclusive concession, an‘open sky’ policy for granting non-exclusive RPs would be appropriate. Such a non-exclusiveRP would neither entail much regulation nor entitle the holder to any automatic right toobtain a PL. In order to provide sufficient incentive-cum-security to such non-exclusive RPholders, they have to be assured strict application of the first-in-time principle in the grant ofPL under the MMDR Act. This is the only return that they would be getting for theinvestment made by them in conducting reconnaissance operations and hence a seamlesstransition from RP to PL would be a crucial aspect of this policy. As a measure ofliberalisation, non-exclusive RPs may be granted by the states directly without prior approvalof the Centre, even in respect of Scheduled minerals. However, copies of these must be sentto IBM and the Central government to enable checking of whether the area restrictions havebeen rigorously followed or not.1.41 It was represented to the Committee that the RP should have shallow pitting,trenching, and surface drilling (excluding subsurface/underground excavations) as27