ABHIJIT ROY CHOWDHURY
TIA
New Delhi: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will have one-on–one meeting with Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on December 24 here to discuss various issues pertaining to the proposed changes and a final draft of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill, 2010.
Mukherjee, who is the chairman of the Group of Ministers (GoM) for the Bill to amend the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, has invited Patnaik for a final round of talks.
One of the most important issues is the value addition clause in the Bill to amend the MMDR Act, which is essential for minerals-bearing States.
The State Government also supports a move to give sizeable benefits to the local people in the mining areas. The tribal population in the State would mostly get the benefits if it is part of the new Bill, sources said.
The draft MMDR Bill does not adequately address the concerns of the mineral-bearing States, said officials.
The issues include revision of royalties on minerals every three years, grant of concessions primarily through competitive biddings and earmarking of a substantial amount of royalties for community development. Special provisions have also been demanded for Scheduled Areas, where most of the major minerals are deposited, which would benefit the tribal population in the long run.
The States also demand reservation of minerals-bearing areas for small and medium industries in public sector and determination of cess by the proposed National Regulatory Authority to be binding on the Central and State Governments
