Mining Leases

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday said allegations leveled against him in a mining lease case was baseless as he left for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in Ranchi, where he is set to face questioning in connection with the matter. Addressing media persons, the CM claimed that he was a victim of a conspiracy by the opposition. "The agency should level allegations only after a detailed investigation into the matter," he said. The ED summoned Soren at its regional office here for interrogation in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal mining in the state. The agency has said it has "identified" proceeds of crime relating to illegal mining in the state to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore till now. Soren, talking to reporters, said, "If we calculate the yearly revenue from mines and minerals, it would not touch Rs 1000 crore. I am going to ED office and want to see how they arrived at that figure," he told reporters. Meanwhile, security has been beefed up

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday said the auctioning of eligible iron ore mining leases in the state will get over by November 2022, but it would take one year after that to begin the extraction of fresh ore. Talking to PTI in Sankhalim, his Assembly constituency in North Goa, Sawant said this one-year period is required to complete all the formalities. The mining activities in Goa had come to a standstill in March 2018 after the apex court quashed the second renewal of iron ore mining leases given to 88 companies in Goa in 2015, and prohibited the extraction of fresh ore. The state has now put up four iron ore mining leases for auction. This is for the first time in Goa's mining history that leases are being awarded through auctioning. "The first batch of four leases have been auctioned by the State Directorate of Mines and Geology, SBI CAP and Metal Scrap Trade Corporation Limited, while the process is on to auction the rest of the leases by November 2022," he ...

The bench during the hearing observed, "We are only concerned with this. The CM already had 0.88 acres of land before he assumed office. It's not as if the office was misused to amass wealth

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren will appear before the Election Commission of India in person or through counsel in the office of profit matter which pertains to owning of stone mining lease

A probe against CM Soren is sought for alleged irregularities in grant of mining lease and also into the transactions of some shell companies allegedly operated by his family members and associates.

The Election Commission is learnt to have asked Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to appear before it in person or through his counsel on May 31

Analysis by Fimi shows how auctions have lulled mining from virgin blocks

The Central government-owned company's Donimalai mine in Karnataka remains non operational since 2018 after NMDC and the Karnataka Government got into a legal battle

Industry says transition from existing to new lessee is not going to be as easy as anticipated

The development assumes significance as NMDC is the country's largest iron ore miner and unlike in Karnataka the company's operations will not be affected in Chhattisgarh

State had asked Union mines ministry to revise area limit to 58 sq km for iron ore and other minerals from 10 sq km currently; pellet makers move PMO, ministries of mines and steel

Centre believes the clause results in duplicity and complexity of efforts; even after lease is granted, it takes time for lessee to start actual mining operations

The move also creates uncertainty for future mining renewal in Chhattisgarh, where most of the mines are due for renewal in March 2020

Petitioner advocate M L Sharma contended that mining leases were granted or extended without following the due procedure in law

The Centre had earlier asked all states to begin the auction of mining leases expiring in the next two years by July 2019 to avert any shortage of minerals

The deliberations at the meeting, Narendra Singh Tomar said, will help the Centre to further improve the policy environment and address different issues facing the mining sector

Mines ministry will come out with proposed draft amendments in Mineral Auction Rules, 2015, in Septt

Miners say time left to get approvals and lease deeds not enough