New Mines Law likely to be introduced in Budget Session: Patel

The newly-inducted Mines Minister Dinsha Patel today said he will make efforts to introduce the new mines legislation in the forthcoming Budget session of Parliament.

"Discussions are on now on the new legislation - Mines and Minerals (Development) Regulation Act 2010, at various levels. We will make efforts to introduce the Bill in the next session of Parliament," Patel told reporters after assuming charge here.

The Minister said that all efforts would be made to pass the Bill unanimously and enact a new law to bring in major reforms in the sector battling with challenges like illegal mining.

"My effort will be to take everybody concerned on board and pass the Bill unanimously," Patel said.

The new legislation proposes 26 per cent profit sharing by the miners with the project-affected people. A Ministerial panel, headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, has already arrived at a broad consensus on the Bill.

Patel said that apart from new legislation, his other priorities would be to make sure that the sector contribute significantly to the country's GDP growth.

"Our focus will also be on scientific exploration of mineral wealth of the country and overall development in states which in turn would generate employment," he added.

Replying to a question, Patel said that the problems in the sector would be identified and redressed at the earliest including that of illegal mining, which is prevalent in almost all eleven mineral-rich states of the country.

Last year, over 40,000 cases of illegal mining were reported.