Orissa to respond to MMDR Act amendment in a month

The Orissa government is likely to finalise its response to the proposed amendment to the Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act) in a month.

A preliminary meeting was held between the officials of the ministry of mines and the state mines department officials in New Delhi recently. State steel and mines secretary Ashok Dalwai attended the meeting.

The state mines secretaries were apprised about the amended act and were asked to send the comments of their respective governments at the earliest. The Centre plans to introduce the proposed amendment in the coming winter session of parliament.

“We will now work on framing the response to the proposed amendment in the MMDR Act, 1957. The response will be ready within a month”, Dalwai told Business Standard.

Official sources here said, the proposed amendment aims to promote value addition in the allotment mines to the existing players.

The units, which have already made investment on the ground, are proposed to be given preference. While discouraging export of iron ore, the new act intends to encourage use of iron ore inside the country. Besides, it proposes to reduce the time taken for disposal of mining applications to six months.